How to write amount in words
The rules are simple, but small mistakes get cheques returned. Here is the whole system, with examples you can check against.
Why we write amounts in words
A figure like 1,00,000 is quick to read but easy to change into 1,00,0000 with one extra stroke of the pen. Words are much harder to alter. That is why banks, courts and businesses ask for the amount in words as well as in figures, and why the words usually win if the two disagree.
The basic rules
- Write the whole number first, then the currency12,500 in dollars is “Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars Only”.
- Hyphenate 21 to 99Twenty-One, Forty-Five, Ninety-Nine. Hundreds, thousands, lakhs and crores are separate words.
- Use “and” before the minor unit“One Hundred Twenty-Five Rupees and Fifty Paise Only”. The paise or cents come last.
- Finish with “Only”It closes the amount so nothing can be added after it.
- Match the figures exactlyIf the words say fifty and the digits say 500, the cheque may be returned.
Numbers that cause trouble
| Figure | Written as |
|---|---|
| 40 | Forty (not “fourty”) |
| 14 | Fourteen (not “fourty-four”) |
| 1,05,000 | One Lakh Five Thousand |
| 100,005 | One Hundred Thousand and Five |
| 1,000,000 | One Million |
| 0.75 | Seventy-Five Paise Only |
Decimals, paise and cents
Money has a fixed number of decimal places, usually two. Round to the minor unit, then write them in words (“and Fifty Paise”) or as a fraction over one hundred (“and 50/100”). The fraction style is common in American cheques; the paise style is common in India.
Plain numbers that are not money are written with “point”, one digit at a time: 3.14 is “three point one four”.
Capital letters
Title Case (“Twelve Thousand Five Hundred”) and UPPERCASE are both common on cheques. Sentence case is normal in contracts. The converter lets you pick any of them.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a gap after the words where someone could add more. Draw a line through it.
- Mixing Indian and Western names, such as “ten lakh million”.
- Misspelling forty, fourteen or ninety.
- Writing “and” in the middle of the number in a way that changes meaning, such as “one hundred and twenty and five”.
- Writing words that do not match the figures.
Use the cheque writing tool to preview the wording, or the bulk converter for long lists.
Frequently asked questions
Is it “one hundred and five” or “one hundred five”?
Both are correct. British English usually adds “and” after hundred (one hundred and five). American English usually leaves it out. Cheques in India and most banks accept either, as long as you are consistent.
Should I use a hyphen in twenty-one?
Yes, standard style hyphenates compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine (forty-five, seventy-six). Do not hyphenate the hundreds or the larger groups.
How do I write zero rupees and some paise?
Leave out the zero and write only the minor unit, for example “Seventy-Five Paise Only”. Use “Zero” only when the whole amount is nothing.
Should “Only” have a capital letter?
On a cheque it is usually capitalised with the rest of the words, but it does not matter legally.