Number to words · British English
One Billion Five Hundred Million in Numbers
One Billion Five Hundred Million is written 1,500,000,000 in numbers, and 1,500,000,000 in words is “one billion five hundred million”. Below you will find the spelling, the cheque wording, the place values and the American and Indian forms.
In figures
1,500,000,000
In words
One billion five hundred million
Cheque: One billion five hundred million pounds only
1,500,000,000 at a glance
- Number
- 1,500,000,000
- In words (British)
- one billion five hundred million
- Title Case
- One Billion Five Hundred Million
- American English
- one billion five hundred million
- Cheque (UK)
- One billion five hundred million pounds only
- Cheque (US)
- One billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars
- Cheque (Bangladesh)
- Taka one hundred and fifty crore only
- Shorthand
- 1.5bn
- Indian system
- 1,50,00,00,000 – one hundred and fifty crore
- Ordinal
- 1,500,000,000th – one billion five hundred millionth
- Scientific notation
- 1.5 × 10⁹
- Digits
- 10 digits · even number
How to write 1,500,000,000 in words
The number 1,500,000,000 is written “one 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:
- 1,000,000,000 is 1 in the billions place, so we write “one billion”.
- 500,000,000 is 500 in the millions place, so we write “five hundred million”.
- Join the groups in order, without “and” between them: “one billion five hundred million”.
In running text the number is normally lowercase: “the fee is one billion five hundred million pounds”. At the start of a sentence, in a heading, or on a legal document it takes capitals: One Billion Five Hundred Million. Formal documents often give both forms together, for example “one billion five hundred million (1,500,000,000)”, so that a reader can check one against the other.
5 words · 28 letters · 1,500,000,000 = 1.5 × 1,000,000,000 (one billion)
One Billion Five Hundred Million in figures
To turn “one 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 1,500,000,000, or 1500000000 without separators.
In expanded form: 1,000,000,000 + 500,000,000 = 1,500,000,000.
Commas go after every third digit counting from the right: 1,500,000,000. In Britain and the United States this is the standard grouping; in much of Europe the same number appears as 1.500.000.000, and international scientific style uses spaces: 1 500 000 000.
How to write 1,500,000,000 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
£1,500,000,000.00
One billion five hundred million pounds only
Amount in words · UK cheque
- With pence: add the pence after the pounds – “One billion five hundred million pounds and fifty pence only” for £1,500,000,000.50 – or write the pence as a fraction, “One billion five hundred million pounds 50/100”.
- US check: “One 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 one hundred and fifty crore only”, with the figure written Tk. 1,50,00,00,000/=.
| Currency | Figures | Amount in words |
|---|---|---|
| Pound sterlingUnited Kingdom | £1,500,000,000.00 | One billion five hundred million pounds only |
| US dollarUnited States | $1,500,000,000.00 | One billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars |
| EuroEurozone | €1,500,000,000.00 | One billion five hundred million euros only |
| Indian rupeeIndia | ₹1,50,00,00,000.00 | Rupees one hundred and fifty crore only |
| Bangladeshi takaBangladesh | Tk. 1,50,00,00,000/= | Taka one hundred and fifty crore only |
| Pakistani rupeePakistan | Rs. 1,50,00,00,000/- | Rupees one 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.
1,500,000,000 in British and American English
1,500,000,000 is spelled exactly the same way – “one 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.
1,500,000,000 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 1,500,000,000 becomes 1,50,00,00,000, read as “one hundred and fifty crore” – or simply 150 crore.
| System | Figures | Words |
|---|---|---|
| International | 1,500,000,000 | one billion five hundred million |
| Indian | 1,50,00,00,000 | one hundred and fifty crore |
On an Indian cheque or invoice the amount reads “Rupees one hundred and fifty crore only”; in Bangladesh it is “Taka one hundred and fifty crore only”. Our lakh and crore conversion guide explains the system in full.
Common mistakes when writing 1,500,000,000
- Pluralising the group words. It is billion, hundred, million, never “hundreds”, “thousands” or “millions” after a number.
- Using shorthand in formal documents. 1.5bn is fine in a message, but a cheque or contract needs one billion five hundred million or 1,500,000,000.
- Miscounting the zeros. 1,500,000,000 has 10 digits. Check the commas: every group between commas should have exactly three digits.
Other ways to write 1,500,000,000
| With commas (UK/US) | 1,500,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Without separators | 1500000000 |
| With spaces (SI) | 1 500 000 000 |
| European style | 1.500.000.000 |
| Shorthand | 1.5bn |
| Indian grouping | 1,50,00,00,000 |
| Scientific notation | 1.5 × 10⁹ |
| Expanded form | 1,000,000,000 + 500,000,000 |
| Ordinal | 1,500,000,000th (one billion five hundred millionth) |
| As a multiple | 1.5 × 1,000,000,000 |
Half of 1,500,000,000 is 750,000,000 (seven hundred and fifty million). Double 1,500,000,000 is 3,000,000,000 (three billion).
Numbers near 1,500,000,000
Questions about 1,500,000,000
What is 1,500,000,000 in words?
1,500,000,000 in words is "one billion five hundred million". In Title Case, as on a formal document, it is "One Billion Five Hundred Million". This is the standard British English spelling.
How do you write one billion five hundred million in numbers?
One billion five hundred million in numbers is 1,500,000,000 (1500000000 without the comma separators). Write each group as three digits – one billion gives 1,000,000,000, five hundred million gives 500,000,000 – then add them together.
How do you write 1,500,000,000 on a cheque?
On a UK cheque write "One billion five hundred million pounds only" in the amount-in-words box and £1,500,000,000.00 in the figures box. On a US check the wording is "One billion five hundred million and 00/100 dollars".
How do you write 1,500,000,000 taka in words?
On a Bangladeshi cheque or invoice write "Taka one hundred and fifty crore only" and the figure as Tk. 1,50,00,00,000/=. Bangladesh counts in lakh and crore, so the words follow the South Asian system (1,50,00,00,000).
Is 1,500,000,000 written differently in American English?
No. 1,500,000,000 is "one 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 1,500,000,000 in the Indian numbering system?
In India 1,500,000,000 is written 1,50,00,00,000 and read as "one hundred and fifty crore" (150 crore). On an Indian cheque you would write "Rupees one hundred and fifty crore only".