Six Hundred and Forty in Numbers

How to write 640 in words

The number 640 is written “six hundred and forty” 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 640 is below one thousand it is a single group: name the hundreds, add "and", then name the remaining tens and units. That gives “six hundred and forty”.

In running text the number is normally lowercase: “the fee is six hundred and forty pounds”. At the start of a sentence, in a heading, or on a legal document it takes capitals: Six Hundred and Forty. Formal documents often give both forms together, for example “six hundred and forty (640)”, so that a reader can check one against the other.

4 words · 18 letters · 640 = 6.4 × 100 (one hundred)

Six Hundred and Forty in figures

To turn “six hundred and forty” back into digits, work group by group. Each group word (billion, million, thousand) marks a block of three digits. The result is 640, or 640 without separators.

How to write 640 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 – “Six hundred and forty pounds and fifty pence only” for £640.50 – or write the pence as a fraction, “Six hundred and forty pounds 50/100”.
• US check: “Six hundred forty 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 six hundred and forty only”, with the figure written Tk. 640/=.

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.

640 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.

640 in Bangla (বাংলায় ৬৪০)

In Bangla, 640 is written ৬৪০ using Bengali digits, and in words it is ছয়শো চল্লিশ. 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 ছয়শো চল্লিশ টাকা মাত্র (“ছয়শো চল্লিশ taka only”). In English on the same cheque it is Taka six hundred and forty only – see How to write a cheque in Bangladesh.

Common mistakes when writing 640

• Dropping “and”. six hundred forty is American usage. In British English write six hundred and forty.
• 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: six hundred and forty or 640, not 640 (six hundred and forty) unless it is a legal document.

Other ways to write 640

Half of 640 is 320 (three hundred and twenty).