Writing Numbers on a Check
A US check has two amount fields: the numeric box on the right (e.g. $1,450.27) and the words line below the payee. Both must match. Here's how to fill out the words line correctly.
Rules
- Start at the far left of the words line — don't leave blank space in front (someone could alter the amount).
- Spell the whole dollars in words.
- Use the word and to separate dollars from cents.
- Write cents as NN/100. If the amount is a round dollar, write 00/100 or xx/100.
- Draw a line from the end of your amount to the end of the line so nothing can be added after it.
- Make the words match the numeric box exactly — if they don't, most banks will honor the words, not the numbers.
Examples
| Input | In words |
|---|---|
| 1 | One and 00/100 |
| 47 | Forty-seven and 00/100 |
| 100 | One hundred and 00/100 |
| 1,450 | One thousand four hundred fifty and 00/100 |
| 1,234 | One thousand two hundred thirty-four and 00/100 |
See also
- Spelling Money Amounts
How to write dollar amounts in words — for checks, contracts, and legal documents. Examples from $1 to $1,000,000. - Ordinal Numbers
Ordinals tell position or rank — first, second, third, and so on. Here's the spelling for every ordinal from 1st to 100th. - Writing Dates in Words
How to write dates like 'April 23, 2026' or 'the 23rd of April' in full English words. - Saying Phone Numbers in Words
Standard ways to pronounce and write out a US phone number digit by digit. - Spelling Fractions
Fractions in English combine a cardinal (top) with an ordinal (bottom). Here's the rule and a table of common fractions. - Spelling Decimal Numbers
How to read and write decimals like 3.14 or 0.005 in English — digit by digit after the point. - Spelling Negative Numbers
Negatives are spelled with the word 'negative' (or 'minus') before the number. - Million, Billion, Trillion, and Beyond
The short-scale names for large numbers used in the US — million, billion, trillion, quadrillion, and up.