Numbers And Words

[sp1814]

What is correct:

I bought four apples.

or

I bought 4 apples.

Are there rules governing which is correct?

[sandyRoe]

I think 'four' looks better. I don't know if there are any rules about it, though.

[Quizmonster]

The following is extracted from Hart's Rules, which is the authority according to Fowler's Modern English Usage as regards the writing of numbers...

"Numbers should be in words if less than 100 and if not within a specific reference, measurement, date, list or table or part of statistical data generally (e.g. the tenth century; a late-tenth-century manuscript; on twenty-six occasions). Otherwise they should be in figures."

So, page 26 is a specific reference...16 feet is a measurement...October 13th is a date...3 is the third heading in a list starting from 1...12 deaths in every 100 is statistical data and all of these should be in figures, not words. Otherwise, they should be written out as words as per the example, "on twenty-six occasions" suggested above.

[The Builder]

I've never heard of any rules either. I do think "four" looks more "grown-up" though.

[horseshoes]

Consistency. Once you've used numerics, don't then change to writing a number in letters. That's what used to be taught.

[Wharton]

6

or

half a dozen

[factor-fiction]

I agree with Quizmonster's summary except, despite what Fowler said, thought the generally accepted rule was to use words for smaller numbers (such as four) and digits for larger numbers (with something like 13 being the first such number I recall). (There's no real logic for that particular cut-off point but clearly words such as twenty three are unwieldy.)

[sp1814]

Thanks all. Just had someone suggest (in the office) that up to nine you should use words and then numbers thereafter...but there are no hard and fast rules.

[factor-fiction]

This may help.
http://www.ox.ac.uk/public_affairs/services_and_resources/style_guide/numbers.html
There's also a Chicago style guide that's often quoted

[jno]

no rules. But a useful one to adopt is to spell out single-digit numbers, one to nine, and have 10 and above as figures

[jno]

Guardian style guide:

Spell out from one to nine; numerals from 10 to 999,999; thereafter use m, bn or tn for sums of money, quantities or inanimate objects in copy, eg 5m tonnes of coal, 30bn doses of vaccine, £50tn; but million or billion for people or animals, eg 1 million people, 25 million rabbits, the world population is 7 billion, etc; in headlines always use m, bn or tn

[factor-fiction]

Yes, as an example 14 should be written as fourteen normally, but I think that digits should not be used to start a sentence.

[jno]

and the Telegraph's:

numbers: Except in the Business pages, the numbers one to nine are spelt out, after that they are given as numerals

[bednobs]

if it's an office situation, it will depend on your "house rules" Where i work, we produce things for the public. And number up to ten is written in words, and number baove ten is numbers

[jno]

the Economist:

Figures
Never start a sentence with a figure; write the number in words instead.
In general, though, use figures for numerals from 11 upwards.

(Well, I'd say 10 upwards.)

[factor-fiction]

Oops ignore mine at 16:53. I meant say "Yes, as an example 14 should be written as 14 normally, but I think that digits should not be used to start a sentence."

[Old_Geezer]

I think that so long as you are consistent, it matters little.

[Old_Geezer]

Assuming you didn't buy 6 apples of course. In which case both are incorrect.

[boxtops]

I've always understood that it depends on the context. It's much easier to read if it's the word - I wouldn't say "I told you 100 times", I say "I told you a hundred times"

[sandyRoe]

If you had bought four candles this thread might have taken an altogether different direction.

[jno]

boxtops, yes, good point. Figures are more exact; 100 means 100. But spelt out, "a hundred" can be very vague indeed - "I've told you a hundred times" probably means "I've told you four or five times". "Fifty" is probably somewhere between 40 and 60.