Number to words · British English
Three in Numbers
Three is written 3 in numbers, and 3 in words is “three”. Below you will find the spelling, the cheque wording, the place values and the American and Indian forms.
In figures
3
In words
Three
Cheque: Three pounds only
3 at a glance
- Number
- 3
- In words (British)
- three
- Title Case
- Three
- American English
- three
- Cheque (UK)
- Three pounds only
- Cheque (US)
- Three and 00/100 dollars
- Cheque (Bangladesh)
- Taka three only
- In Bangla
- ৩ – তিন
- Ordinal
- 3rd – third
- Roman numerals
- III
- Digits
- 1 digit · odd number
How to write 3 in words
The number 3 is written “three” in British English.
3 is one of the basic number words that every larger number is built from, so it has to be learned rather than constructed.
In running text the number is normally lowercase: “the fee is three pounds”. At the start of a sentence, in a heading, or on a legal document it takes capitals: Three. Formal documents often give both forms together, for example “three (3)”, so that a reader can check one against the other.
1 words · 5 letters
Three in figures
To turn “three” back into digits, work group by group. Each group word (billion, million, thousand) marks a block of three digits. The result is 3, or 3 without separators.
How to write 3 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
£3.00
Three pounds only
Amount in words · UK cheque
- With pence: add the pence after the pounds – “Three pounds and fifty pence only” for £3.50 – or write the pence as a fraction, “Three pounds 50/100”.
- US check: “Three 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 three only”, with the figure written Tk. 3/=.
| Currency | Figures | Amount in words |
|---|---|---|
| Pound sterlingUnited Kingdom | £3.00 | Three pounds only |
| US dollarUnited States | $3.00 | Three and 00/100 dollars |
| EuroEurozone | €3.00 | Three euros only |
| Indian rupeeIndia | ₹3.00 | Rupees three only |
| Bangladeshi takaBangladesh | Tk. 3/= | Taka three only |
| Pakistani rupeePakistan | Rs. 3/- | Rupees three 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.
3 in British and American English
3 is spelled exactly the same way – “three” – 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.
3 in Bangla (বাংলায় ৩)
In Bangla, 3 is written ৩ using Bengali digits, and in words it is তিন. 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.
সংখ্যায় · In figures
৩
কথায় · In words
তিন
On a cheque or invoice written in Bangla the amount reads তিন টাকা মাত্র (“তিন taka only”). In English on the same cheque it is Taka three only – see How to write a cheque in Bangladesh.
Common mistakes when writing 3
- Mixing words and figures. In running text keep to one style: three or 3, not 3 (three) unless it is a legal document.
Other ways to write 3
| With commas (UK/US) | 3 |
|---|---|
| Without separators | 3 |
| Roman numerals | III |
| Ordinal | 3rd (third) |
Double 3 is 6 (six).
Numbers near 3
Questions about 3
What is 3 in words?
3 in words is "three". In Title Case, as on a formal document, it is "Three". This is the standard British English spelling.
How do you write three in numbers?
Three in numbers is 3 (3 without the comma separators).
How do you write 3 on a cheque?
On a UK cheque write "Three pounds only" in the amount-in-words box and £3.00 in the figures box. On a US check the wording is "Three and 00/100 dollars".
How do you write 3 taka in words?
On a Bangladeshi cheque or invoice write "Taka three only" and the figure as Tk. 3/=. Bangladesh counts in lakh and crore, so the words follow the South Asian system.
Is 3 written differently in American English?
No. 3 is "three" in both British and American English, because there is no "and" to add or remove in this number.
What is 3 in Bangla?
3 in Bangla is ৩, written in words as "তিন". On a Bangladeshi cheque in Bangla it reads "তিন টাকা মাত্র".
How many digits does 3 have?
3 has 1 digit and is an odd number. In expanded form it is 3.