On a cheque, the amount in words is the amount that counts. If the digits and the words disagree, the bank generally follows the words, so getting them right matters. Writing a number out in words is simple once you know the method: split it into groups of three digits, name each group, and join them in order.
The method in plain words
Work from left to right, in groups of three digits: billions, millions, thousands, and ones. Inside each group, name the hundreds, then the tens and ones. Numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine are hyphenated, such as forty-two. The word and is used only once on a cheque, between the whole amount and the cents, which are written as a fraction over 100. So 1,250.75 becomes one thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100. After the words, draw a line through any empty space up to the printed word Dollars, so nobody can add extra words later.
How to convert a number to words for a cheque
- Write the number with commas. Group the digits in threes from the right, so 1250750 becomes 1,250,750. The commas show you the groups.
- Name the leftmost group first. In 1,250,750, the leftmost group is 1, in the millions place: one million.
- Name each following group with its place name. Next comes 250 thousand: two hundred fifty thousand. Then 750, with no place name: seven hundred fifty.
- Join the groups in order. The full result is one million two hundred fifty thousand seven hundred fifty.
- Add the cents for a cheque. For 1,250.75, write one thousand two hundred fifty and 75/100, then draw a line to the word Dollars.
- Read it back before you write it on the cheque. Say the words out loud and compare them with the digits, one group at a time.
A worked example
Take 5,075.62. Split it as 5,075 and 62 cents. The whole part is five thousand seventy-five. The cents become 62/100. On the cheque line, you write: Five thousand seventy-five and 62/100. The digits in the box should read 5,075.62. If the two do not match, stop and fix the words first, because the words are the ones the bank will follow.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not write and inside the whole number, as in one hundred and fifty. On a cheque, and belongs only before the cents.
- Do not forget the hyphens in numbers like twenty-five and seventy-five. Missing hyphens look careless and can cause confusion.
- Do not leave blank space after the amount. Draw a line to the end of the line so the amount cannot be altered.
- Do not guess at large numbers. Split them into groups of three and name each group, rather than trying to read the whole string at once.
Try it faster with the free tool
The free Numbers to Words Converter below does the spelling for you: type a whole number, and it spells it out in full, from zero up to very large values, the way you would write it on a cheque or in a formal document. Use Copy Text or Download Text to save the result.
Try it here: Numbers to Words Converter.
Groups of three, left to right, and one and before the cents. That method turns any number into words you can trust on a cheque.
Questions readers ask
What about zero? Zero is written as zero, and on a cheque, 0.00 is written as zero and 00/100. Do not leave the amount line blank, because a blank line can be filled in by someone else.
Do I hyphenate every two-digit number? Hyphenate numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine, such as forty-two. Round tens, such as fifty, need no hyphen.
What if I make a mistake on a cheque? Do not cross it out and write over it. Banks may refuse an altered cheque. Void it, write VOID across it, and start a fresh one.