2,490,600 in letters

English translation: Don't do it!

12:10 Oct 22, 2002

English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]

English term or phrase: 2,490,600 in letters

I have a terrible doubt. How do you write the amount 2,490,000 in letters?

Thanks.

César Cornejo Fuster KudoZ activity Questions: 1553 (1 open) (3 without valid answers) (31 closed without grading) Answers: 127
Local time: 21:48

Selected answer:Don't do it!

Explanation:
My manual says:

"Spell out numbers that require no more than two words. In other cases, use numerals."

The Portable English Handbook by William Herman.

Of course, if you are writing a check (to ME, of course :), then you can spell it any way you please!

Selected response from:

jccantrell
United States
Local time: 12:48

Grading comment

Thank you. You will receive your cheque soon.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +7

Don't do it!

jccantrell

5 +6

two million four hundred and ninety thousand six hundred

airmailrpl

4 +4

two million, four-hundred ninety thousand, and six-hundred

Fuad Yahya

5 +2

Two million four hundred ninety thousand six hundred.

David Wigtil

5 +2

two million four hundred and ninety thousand six hundred

Enza Longo

4 +1

Two million, four hundred ninety thousand, six hundred.

Christopher Crockett

1 -2

two million, four hundred and ninety thousand and six hundred

RHELLER

Answers

2 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -2

two million, four hundred and ninety thousand and six hundred

Explanation:
I think that's right

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 13:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 1252

2 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

two million four hundred and ninety thousand six hundred

Explanation:
2,490,600 in letters

that's a lot of letters!!!!!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-10-22 12:36:46 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

two million, four hundred and ninety thousand, six hundred

or

two million, four hundred ninety thousand, six hundred

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 16:48
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in pair: 1195

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Refugio: This is right except for needing commas after million and thousand. Keep in mind that the British and American systems diverge by the time you get up into the milliard/billion range.

18 mins

-> put them in

agree

writeaway: without the and

19 mins

-> did that too!!!

agree

Emily Horner

27 mins

-> thanks

agree

NancyLynn

1 hr

-> thanks

agree

Sven Petersson

1 hr

-> thanks

disagree

David Wigtil: No comma, and no "and".

1 hr

-> I agree with the 'no commas', the 'and' is optional

agree

Sarah Ponting: as a native UK English speaker I agree with the four hundred AND ninety bit, but I'd never write such a long number in words!

3 hrs

-> In Brasil, when the inflation was bad, we regularly wrtote out checks with such large number to pay bills

agree

Chris Rowson (X): For BE, it has to have the first "and", unless we are being mid-Atlantic. And it has to have the first comma and usually has the second.

20 hrs

-> thank you

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

two million, four-hundred ninety thousand, and six-hundred

Explanation:
I hope there are no typos.

Fuad

Fuad Yahya
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

English
PRO pts in pair: 893

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Two million four hundred ninety thousand six hundred.

Explanation:
Two million four hundred ninety thousand six hundred. Do not use any hyphens or commas, and do not use "and" anywhere. All other punctuations and any use of "and" is considered either of very casual register or else quite substandard, depending on the critic.

Of course, perhaps you actually wanted:
____ ____ _____
(||) CCCC LXXXX DC

where the line over a number indicates 1,000-fold multiplication, and (||) is the ancient equivalent of the mediaeval/modern use of MM.

--Loquamur

Reference: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/RomanNumeral.html

David Wigtil
United States
Local time: 15:48
Native speaker of: English

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +7

Don't do it!

jccantrell
United States
Local time: 12:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 856

Grading comment

Thank you. You will receive your cheque soon.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Christopher Crockett: Good point. Spelling it out should only be done for some special reason.

15 mins

agree

Nancy Arrowsmith: an old journalistic rule

1 hr

agree

Sarah Ponting: quite right, but as you say, he might want to write a cheque ;-)

1 hr

agree

Liv Bliss (X): excellent point, erroneous conclusion - the check should be written to me

1 hr

-> Man, my ONE good idea for the day, and everybody wants a piece of the action!

agree

#41698 (LSF): Even checks won't have space for such long wordings. It would have to be written in big numerals.

1 hr

agree

Bryan Crumpler: yeah... I agree on this one... unless he's writing a check (to me I hope)

5 hrs

-> Get on the bandwagon. Once the check clears, I can share!

agree

ashi

15 hrs

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Two million, four hundred ninety thousand, six hundred.

Explanation:
I left out the first "and" because I wouldn't say "four hundred *and* ninety thousand."

I left out the second because I wouldn't say "four hundred ninety thousand *and* six hundred."

I put the commas in because i take each element to be a seperate phrase, as it were.

And, because the commas are there in the numeric "spelling" --for good reason.

Jccantrell's point about not spelling it out at all is a very good one, however. Don't do it unless there is a specific reason.

Christopher Crockett
Local time: 15:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 128

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

two million four hundred and ninety thousand six hundred

Explanation:
This is the British version - American version is without the and..... very confusing, isn't it ??

Enza Longo
Canada
Local time: 15:48
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 46

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