Million, Billion, Trillion, and Beyond
US English uses the short scale where each new name is 1,000 times the previous. (British English now also uses the short scale since 1974.)
Rules
- Each scale name multiplies by 1,000.
- Write numbers up to 999,999,999,999,999,999 by chunking into groups of three digits and naming each scale: 1,234,567 = one million two hundred thirty-four thousand five hundred sixty-seven.
- Scale names are singular when they follow a number (five million, not five millions).
- Use a comma every three digits in the numeral (US), a period in many European locales.
Examples
| Input | In words |
|---|---|
| 1,000,000 | one million |
| 1,000,000,000 | one billion |
| 1,000,000,000,000 | one trillion |
| 1,000,000,000,000,000 | one quadrillion |
| 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 | one quintillion |
See also
- Spelling Money Amounts
Learn how to write dollar and cent amounts in words for US checks, contracts, and legal documents — with rules for 'and 00/100 dollars' and examples from $1 to $1,000,000. - Writing Numbers on a Check
Step-by-step guide to writing numbers in words on a US bank check, including cents as NN/100, where to place 'and', and real check-writing examples. - Ordinal Numbers
Complete guide to spelling ordinal numbers from 1st (first) to 100th (one hundredth), including irregulars like fifth, eighth, ninth, twelfth, and twentieth. - Writing Dates in Words
How to write dates and years like 'April 23, 2026' or 'July 4, 1776' in full English words for wedding invitations, diplomas, and legal contracts. - Saying Phone Numbers in Words
Learn how to pronounce and spell out US phone numbers, area codes, and toll-free 1-800 numbers digit by digit in English. - Spelling Fractions
Learn how to spell fractions in English words by combining a cardinal numerator with an ordinal denominator — plus when to hyphenate fractions. - Spelling Decimal Numbers
How to read and write decimal numbers like 3.14, 0.5, and 0.005 in English words — both digit-by-digit after 'point' and by tenths/hundredths. - Spelling Negative Numbers
Learn how to write and pronounce negative numbers like -1, -47, and -100 in English using 'negative' for math/finance and 'minus' for temperatures.