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Number to words · British English

Eight Billion Five Hundred Million in Numbers

Eight Billion Five Hundred Million is written 8,500,000,000 in numbers, and 8,500,000,000 in words is “eight billion five hundred million”. Below you will find the spelling, the cheque wording, the place values and the American and Indian forms.

In figures

8,500,000,000

In words

Eight billion five hundred million

Cheque: Eight billion five hundred million pounds only

8,500,000,000 at a glance

Number
8,500,000,000
In words (British)
eight billion five hundred million
Title Case
Eight Billion Five Hundred Million
American English
eight billion five hundred million
Cheque (UK)
Eight billion five hundred million pounds only
Cheque (US)
Eight billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars
Cheque (Bangladesh)
Taka eight hundred and fifty crore only
Shorthand
8.5bn
Indian system
8,50,00,00,000 – eight hundred and fifty crore
Ordinal
8,500,000,000th – eight billion five hundred millionth
Scientific notation
8.5 × 10⁹
Digits
10 digits · even number

How to write 8,500,000,000 in words

The number 8,500,000,000 is written “eight billion five hundred million” in British English.

The simplest method is to read the figure in groups of three digits from the left and name each group:

  1. 8,000,000,000 is 8 in the billions place, so we write “eight billion”.
  2. 500,000,000 is 500 in the millions place, so we write “five hundred million”.
  3. Join the groups in order, without “and” between them: “eight billion five hundred million”.

In running text the number is normally lowercase: “the fee is eight billion five hundred million pounds”. At the start of a sentence, in a heading, or on a legal document it takes capitals: Eight Billion Five Hundred Million. Formal documents often give both forms together, for example “eight billion five hundred million (8,500,000,000)”, so that a reader can check one against the other.

5 words · 30 letters · 8,500,000,000 = 8.5 × 1,000,000,000 (one billion)

Eight Billion Five Hundred Million in figures

To turn “eight billion five hundred million” back into digits, work group by group. Each group word (billion, million, thousand) marks a block of three digits, so any block that is missing or short is padded with zeros. The result is 8,500,000,000, or 8500000000 without separators.

In expanded form: 8,000,000,000 + 500,000,000 = 8,500,000,000.

Place value of each digit in 8,500,000,000
billionshundred millionsten millionsmillionshundred thousandsten thousandsthousandshundredstensones
8500000000
8,000,000,000500,000,000————————

Commas go after every third digit counting from the right: 8,500,000,000. In Britain and the United States this is the standard grouping; in much of Europe the same number appears as 8.500.000.000, and international scientific style uses spaces: 8 500 000 000.

How to write 8,500,000,000 on a cheque

Banks read the amount in words as the legal amount, so it must be exact. Write the pounds in words, add the word pounds, and finish with only so that nothing can be added afterwards.

Pay

£8,500,000,000.00

Eight billion five hundred million pounds only

Amount in words · UK cheque

  • With pence: add the pence after the pounds – “Eight billion five hundred million pounds and fifty pence only” for £8,500,000,000.50 – or write the pence as a fraction, “Eight billion five hundred million pounds 50/100”.
  • US check: “Eight billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars”. American cheques drop the “and” after the hundreds and put it before the cents.
  • Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: the currency word comes first and the amount is counted in lakh and crore – “Taka eight hundred and fifty crore only”, with the figure written Tk. 8,50,00,00,000/=.
8,500,000,000 in words on a cheque, by currency
CurrencyFiguresAmount in words
Pound sterlingUnited Kingdom£8,500,000,000.00Eight billion five hundred million pounds only
US dollarUnited States$8,500,000,000.00Eight billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars
EuroEurozone€8,500,000,000.00Eight billion five hundred million euros only
Indian rupeeIndia₹8,50,00,00,000.00Rupees eight hundred and fifty crore only
Bangladeshi takaBangladeshTk. 8,50,00,00,000/=Taka eight hundred and fifty crore only
Pakistani rupeePakistanRs. 8,50,00,00,000/-Rupees eight hundred and fifty crore only

Read the full guide to writing a UK cheque or the guide to writing a cheque in Bangladesh for the layout, the date, and what to do if the words and figures disagree.

8,500,000,000 in British and American English

8,500,000,000 is spelled exactly the same way – “eight billion five hundred million” – in British and American English. The two varieties only differ when a number contains hundreds followed by tens or units, where British English adds “and”. Read more in our guide to British vs American English numbers.

8,500,000,000 in lakh and crore (India, Bangladesh and Pakistan)

In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, large numbers are grouped differently. After the first thousand the digits are grouped in twos, and the units are lakh (100,000) and crore (10,000,000). So 8,500,000,000 becomes 8,50,00,00,000, read as “eight hundred and fifty crore” – or simply 850 crore.

SystemFiguresWords
International8,500,000,000eight billion five hundred million
Indian8,50,00,00,000eight hundred and fifty crore

On an Indian cheque or invoice the amount reads “Rupees eight hundred and fifty crore only”; in Bangladesh it is “Taka eight hundred and fifty crore only”. Our lakh and crore conversion guide explains the system in full.

Common mistakes when writing 8,500,000,000

  • Pluralising the group words. It is billion, hundred, million, never “hundreds”, “thousands” or “millions” after a number.
  • Using shorthand in formal documents. 8.5bn is fine in a message, but a cheque or contract needs eight billion five hundred million or 8,500,000,000.
  • Miscounting the zeros. 8,500,000,000 has 10 digits. Check the commas: every group between commas should have exactly three digits.

Other ways to write 8,500,000,000

With commas (UK/US)8,500,000,000
Without separators8500000000
With spaces (SI)8 500 000 000
European style8.500.000.000
Shorthand8.5bn
Indian grouping8,50,00,00,000
Scientific notation8.5 × 10⁹
Expanded form8,000,000,000 + 500,000,000
Ordinal8,500,000,000th (eight billion five hundred millionth)
As a multiple8.5 × 1,000,000,000

Numbers near 8,500,000,000

Questions about 8,500,000,000

What is 8,500,000,000 in words?

8,500,000,000 in words is "eight billion five hundred million". In Title Case, as on a formal document, it is "Eight Billion Five Hundred Million". This is the standard British English spelling.

How do you write eight billion five hundred million in numbers?

Eight billion five hundred million in numbers is 8,500,000,000 (8500000000 without the comma separators). Write each group as three digits – eight billion gives 8,000,000,000, five hundred million gives 500,000,000 – then add them together.

How do you write 8,500,000,000 on a cheque?

On a UK cheque write "Eight billion five hundred million pounds only" in the amount-in-words box and £8,500,000,000.00 in the figures box. On a US check the wording is "Eight billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars".

How do you write 8,500,000,000 taka in words?

On a Bangladeshi cheque or invoice write "Taka eight hundred and fifty crore only" and the figure as Tk. 8,50,00,00,000/=. Bangladesh counts in lakh and crore, so the words follow the South Asian system (8,50,00,00,000).

Is 8,500,000,000 written differently in American English?

No. 8,500,000,000 is "eight billion five hundred million" in both British and American English, because there is no "and" to add or remove in this number.

How do you write 8,500,000,000 in the Indian numbering system?

In India 8,500,000,000 is written 8,50,00,00,000 and read as "eight hundred and fifty crore" (850 crore). On an Indian cheque you would write "Rupees eight hundred and fifty crore only".

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