Four Hundred and Twenty in Numbers

How to write 420 in words

The number 420 is written “four hundred and twenty” in British English. Notice the word “and”: British English places it between the hundreds and the rest of the group. American English usually leaves it out.

Because 420 is below one thousand it is a single group: name the hundreds, add "and", then name the remaining tens and units. That gives “four hundred and twenty”.

In running text the number is normally lowercase: “the fee is four hundred and twenty pounds”. At the start of a sentence, in a heading, or on a legal document it takes capitals: Four Hundred and Twenty. Formal documents often give both forms together, for example “four hundred and twenty (420)”, so that a reader can check one against the other.

4 words · 20 letters · 420 = 4.2 × 100 (one hundred)

Four Hundred and Twenty in figures

To turn “four hundred and twenty” back into digits, work group by group. Each group word (billion, million, thousand) marks a block of three digits. The result is 420, or 420 without separators.

How to write 420 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.

• With pence: add the pence after the pounds – “Four hundred and twenty pounds and fifty pence only” for £420.50 – or write the pence as a fraction, “Four hundred and twenty pounds 50/100”.
• US check: “Four hundred twenty 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 four hundred and twenty only”, with the figure written Tk. 420/=.

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.

420 in British and American English

This is one of the numbers where the two spellings differ. British English keeps “and” after the hundreds; American English generally drops it.

Both are correct in their own country and both are understood everywhere. For a UK cheque, contract or exam, use the British form. See British vs American English numbers for the full comparison.

420 in Bangla (বাংলায় ৪২০)

In Bangla, 420 is written ৪২০ using Bengali digits, and in words it is চারশো বিশ. Bangla has its own word for every number from one to ninety-nine, and above that it counts in হাজার (thousand), লাখ (lakh) and কোটি (crore), the same grouping used across Bangladesh and India.

On a cheque or invoice written in Bangla the amount reads চারশো বিশ টাকা মাত্র (“চারশো বিশ taka only”). In English on the same cheque it is Taka four hundred and twenty only – see How to write a cheque in Bangladesh.

Common mistakes when writing 420

• Dropping “and”. four hundred twenty is American usage. In British English write four hundred and twenty.
• Pluralising the group words. It is hundred, never “hundreds”, “thousands” or “millions” after a number.
• Mixing words and figures. In running text keep to one style: four hundred and twenty or 420, not 420 (four hundred and twenty) unless it is a legal document.

Other ways to write 420

Half of 420 is 210 (two hundred and ten). Double 420 is 840 (eight hundred and forty).