You’ll use numbers in nearly every story you write, and depending on which field of journalism you’re writing in (i.e. data, sports) you might use them at an extremely high frequency.
Spelling Out Numbers
AP Style emphasizes readability, especially for numbers less than 10. Here’s when to spell them out:
- Always spell out whole numbers from zero to nine. This enhances readability, particularly for younger readers or those unfamiliar with large numerical values (Example: There were seven firefighters battling the blaze).
- If a sentence begins with a number, spell it out entirely, regardless of its size (Example: Twenty firefighters responded to the emergency call).
- Numbers representing ages, even for inanimate objects, are typically spelled out. This adds a touch of humanity and avoids confusion (Example: The five-year-old building was condemned due to structural issues).
- Express dollar amounts in full with the dollar sign preceding the number. This ensures clarity and avoids misinterpretation of decimal points (Example: The project is estimated to cost ten million dollars).
Utilizing Numerals
For larger numbers and specific contexts, numerals offer efficiency and clarity.
- Use numerals for whole numbers 10 and above. This maintains conciseness and avoids awkward phrasing (Example: The company reported a profit of 12 million dollars).
- Percentages, Fractions, Decimals, etc. – Numbers used in percentages, fractions, decimals, ratios, and statistics are expressed as numerals. This ensures precision and adheres to mathematical conventions (Example: The unemployment rate dropped by 2.5%.).
- When dealing with vast numbers (thousands, millions, billions), numerals paired with appropriate abbreviations (K, M, B) enhance readability (Example: The company has over 250K employees.).
Additional Considerations
- Avoid using ordinal numbers (st, nd, rd, th) with dates in AP Style. Instead, use numerals. (Incorrect: The meeting is on 1st August. Correct: The meeting is on Aug. 1.)
- When presenting a series of numbers, if some are spelled out you maintain that format for all numbers within the series.