Basic rule – Spell out whole numbers below 10, use figures for 10 and above. For example: Each person was given three pencils. The entire class received a 30-count box.
Spell out numbers if they are used at the start of a sentence. Thirty-eight geese were tagged by the researchers. Exception: If a calendar year is used at the start of the sentence, we use a numeral was not a productive year for the business.
Always use figures. An 8-year-old boy. The 37-year-old pitcher. Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun. A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s. (No apostrophe)
Use figures for percent and percentages. -1 percent Use decimals, not fractions – 2.5 percent. For amounts less than one percent, use a zero in front of the decimal. - The cost of living rose 0.6 percent.
Use figures and the dollar sign in all uses except casual references or amounts without a figure. Admission to the concert is $12. A 12-pack of Coca Cola costs $4.50. The new coach’s contract is for $325,000 annually. For amounts of more than $1 million, use up to two decimal places. - The building cost $5.25 million.
Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc. to indicate depth, height, length and width. Hyphenate when used to modify a noun. He is 5 feet 6 inches tall. The 5-foot-6-inch man. The area received 5 inches of snow Tuesday. The building has 6,000 square feet of floor space.
Use figures for all except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign, to indicate a temperature below zero. - It was sunny and 67 at the park. - The day’s low was minus 10. OR - The day’s low as 10 below zero. Temperatures get higher or lower, but they don’t get warmer or cooler.
Only abbreviate Ave., Blvd. and St. when used with a numbered address. - The home is on Smith Avenue. - The home is located at 1215 Smith Ave. Never abbreviate road, alley, drive, terrace or any other address. Capitalize when part of a formal name without a number. Lowercase when used alone or with two or more names.
Use figures except for noon or midnight. Use a.m. and p.m. Not in the morning or in the afternoon. - Lunch service starts at 11:45 a.m. - Class begins at 6:30 p.m. For 12 p.m., use noon. For 12 a.m., use midnight. Just noon or midnight. Do not write 12 noon or 12 midnight – those are redundant.
Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate the following months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. - He was born on Aug. 9, The trip starts May The bus trip is planned from Nov The coldest month of the year was January. Number only. No th or rd or anything after the number.