Spelling Fractions
A fraction like 3/4 is read as three-fourths (or three-quarters). The numerator is a cardinal; the denominator is an ordinal (with an -s if the numerator is more than 1).
Rules
- Numerator: cardinal (one, two, three …).
- Denominator: ordinal (third, fourth, fifth …). Add -s when the numerator is greater than 1.
- 1/2 is always one half (or a half) — never one second.
- 1/4 and 3/4 can use quarter(s) or fourth(s); both are standard.
- Hyphenate the fraction when used as an adjective: a three-quarter turn.
Examples
| Input | In words |
|---|---|
| 1/2 | one half |
| 1/3 | one third |
| 2/3 | two thirds |
| 1/4 | one quarter (or one fourth) |
| 3/4 | three quarters (or three fourths) |
| 1/5 | one fifth |
| 5/8 | five eighths |
| 7/10 | seven tenths |
| 1/100 | one hundredth |
| 1/1000 | one thousandth |
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. - Writing Numbers on a Check
Step-by-step: how to spell the amount on a US check, including cents, the word 'and', and common mistakes. - 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 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.