Guide · 5 min read
British vs American English: How Numbers in Words Differ
The differences between British and American English when writing numbers in words: the word "and", billions, cheques vs checks, and dates.
Updated
British and American English agree on almost everything about numbers. The vocabulary is identical, the hyphens are identical, the grouping in thousands is identical. The one difference that matters every day is a single word: and.
The word “and”
British English puts “and” between the hundreds and the tens or units that follow: two hundred and fifty, one thousand and five. American English drops it: two hundred fifty, one thousand five.
American teachers often justify the rule by saying that “and” marks the decimal point – two hundred fifty and 50/100 on a check – so it should not appear anywhere else. British usage has never adopted that logic; “and” has been part of spoken and written numbers for centuries.
Side-by-side examples
| Figures | British English 🇬🇧 | American English 🇺🇸 |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | one hundred and one | one hundred one |
| 250 | two hundred and fifty | two hundred fifty |
| 375 | three hundred and seventy-five | three hundred seventy-five |
| 1,005 | one thousand and five | one thousand five |
| 2,500 | two thousand five hundred | two thousand five hundred (same) |
| 38,000 | thirty-eight thousand | thirty-eight thousand (same) |
| 250,000 | two hundred and fifty thousand | two hundred fifty thousand |
| 367,752 | three hundred and sixty-seven thousand seven hundred and fifty-two | three hundred sixty-seven thousand seven hundred fifty-two |
| 1,200,000 | one million two hundred thousand | one million two hundred thousand (same) |
Every number page on NumWords shows both forms – for example 250,000 or 367,752.
What is the same
- Hyphens. Both varieties hyphenate twenty-one to ninety-nine: forty-six, eighty-eight.
- No “and” between groups. Neither writes two thousand and five hundred.
- Singular group words. Three thousand, not three thousands, on both sides of the Atlantic.
- Commas every three digits in figures: 1,250,000.
- Spelling of the number words themselves – there is no American forty versus British fourty; it is forty everywhere.
Cheques and checks
Even the spelling of the document differs – cheque in Britain, check in America – and so does the wording of the amount.
| UK cheque | US check | |
|---|---|---|
| £/$2,500.00 | Two thousand five hundred pounds only | Two thousand five hundred and 00/100 dollars |
| £/$1,250.50 | One thousand two hundred and fifty pounds and fifty pence only | One thousand two hundred fifty and 50/100 dollars |
| Ending | “only” to close the line | The fraction closes the line; often followed by a drawn line |
Full instructions for the British version are in How to write a UK cheque.
Billion: the old difference
Until 1974 a British billion officially meant a million million (1,000,000,000,000) – the “long scale” – while an American billion meant a thousand million (1,000,000,000). The UK government switched to the American short scale in 1974 and the rest of British usage followed. Today billion means 1,000,000,000 everywhere in English, and that is the meaning NumWords uses. You may still meet the long scale in old books and in some European languages (the French milliard is our billion).
Which should you use?
- In the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa and most of the Commonwealth: British, with “and”.
- In the United States and, usually, Canada: American, without “and”.
- For an international audience: either is understood. Be consistent within a document.
- For exams: follow the variety of English the exam board uses – IELTS, Cambridge and UK GCSEs expect the British form.
Frequently asked questions
Is it wrong to say "two hundred and fifty" in America?
No. Many Americans say it, and everyone understands it. American style guides and schools simply prefer "two hundred fifty" in writing, and the check-writing convention reserves "and" for the cents.
Is a British billion still a million million?
Not any more. The UK officially adopted the short-scale billion (one thousand million, 1,000,000,000) in 1974, and it is the only meaning used in British government, finance and journalism today.
Does Australian, Indian or Canadian English use "and"?
Australian, New Zealand, Irish, Indian, Pakistani, South African and most Commonwealth English follow the British pattern with "and". Canadian usage is mixed but leans American in writing.