Number to words · British English
Twelve in Numbers
Twelve is written 12 in numbers, and 12 in words is “twelve”. Below you will find the spelling, the cheque wording, the place values and the American and Indian forms.
In figures
12
In words
Twelve
Cheque: Twelve pounds only
12 at a glance
- Number
- 12
- In words (British)
- twelve
- Title Case
- Twelve
- American English
- twelve
- Cheque (UK)
- Twelve pounds only
- Cheque (US)
- Twelve and 00/100 dollars
- Cheque (Bangladesh)
- Taka twelve only
- In Bangla
- ১২ – বারো
- Ordinal
- 12th – twelfth
- Roman numerals
- XII
- Digits
- 2 digits · even number
How to write 12 in words
The number 12 is written “twelve” in British English.
12 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 twelve pounds”. At the start of a sentence, in a heading, or on a legal document it takes capitals: Twelve. Formal documents often give both forms together, for example “twelve (12)”, so that a reader can check one against the other.
1 words · 6 letters
Twelve in figures
To turn “twelve” back into digits, work group by group. Each group word (billion, million, thousand) marks a block of three digits. The result is 12, or 12 without separators.
How to write 12 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
£12.00
Twelve pounds only
Amount in words · UK cheque
- With pence: add the pence after the pounds – “Twelve pounds and fifty pence only” for £12.50 – or write the pence as a fraction, “Twelve pounds 50/100”.
- US check: “Twelve 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 twelve only”, with the figure written Tk. 12/=.
| Currency | Figures | Amount in words |
|---|---|---|
| Pound sterlingUnited Kingdom | £12.00 | Twelve pounds only |
| US dollarUnited States | $12.00 | Twelve and 00/100 dollars |
| EuroEurozone | €12.00 | Twelve euros only |
| Indian rupeeIndia | ₹12.00 | Rupees twelve only |
| Bangladeshi takaBangladesh | Tk. 12/= | Taka twelve only |
| Pakistani rupeePakistan | Rs. 12/- | Rupees twelve 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.
12 in British and American English
12 is spelled exactly the same way – “twelve” – 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.
12 in Bangla (বাংলায় ১২)
In Bangla, 12 is written ১২ using Bengali digits, and in words it is বারো. 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
১২
কথায় · In words
বারো
On a cheque or invoice written in Bangla the amount reads বারো টাকা মাত্র (“বারো taka only”). In English on the same cheque it is Taka twelve only – see How to write a cheque in Bangladesh.
Common mistakes when writing 12
- Mixing words and figures. In running text keep to one style: twelve or 12, not 12 (twelve) unless it is a legal document.
Other ways to write 12
| With commas (UK/US) | 12 |
|---|---|
| Without separators | 12 |
| Expanded form | 10 + 2 |
| Roman numerals | XII |
| Ordinal | 12th (twelfth) |
Half of 12 is 6 (six). Double 12 is 24 (twenty-four).
Numbers near 12
Questions about 12
What is 12 in words?
12 in words is "twelve". In Title Case, as on a formal document, it is "Twelve". This is the standard British English spelling.
How do you write twelve in numbers?
Twelve in numbers is 12 (12 without the comma separators).
How do you write 12 on a cheque?
On a UK cheque write "Twelve pounds only" in the amount-in-words box and £12.00 in the figures box. On a US check the wording is "Twelve and 00/100 dollars".
How do you write 12 taka in words?
On a Bangladeshi cheque or invoice write "Taka twelve only" and the figure as Tk. 12/=. Bangladesh counts in lakh and crore, so the words follow the South Asian system.
Is 12 written differently in American English?
No. 12 is "twelve" in both British and American English, because there is no "and" to add or remove in this number.
What is 12 in Bangla?
12 in Bangla is ১২, written in words as "বারো". On a Bangladeshi cheque in Bangla it reads "বারো টাকা মাত্র".
How many digits does 12 have?
12 has 2 digits and is an even number. In expanded form it is 10 + 2.