A Military Writer's Handbook
Words

Numbers

Whether to express a number in figures or words depends largely on whether you are writing for the sciences or business, or for the humanities. In a technical document, numbers are almost always written as figures, while in general academic writing they are usually spelled out. Conventions of number usage in writing vary; being consistent is the important thing. Most of the principles below are adapted from The Canadian Style (Revised and Expanded), a publication of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Key Terms

Arabic numeral: Any of the numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, expressed as figures.

Ordinal number: A number defining something's position in a series, such as first, second, 3rd, or 4th.

Cardinal number: A number denoting a certain quantity (one, two, three, 21, 22, 23 . . .) as opposed to position in a series.

1. Numerical Expressions

a) Numbers from 0-9 are written in full.
zero, one, two . . .

b) Numbers with two digits and numbers that can be expressed in one or two words should be written out.
"We lost over fifty percent of our officers on D-Day," Corporal Dan Hartigan explained, "fifteen of the twenty-seven, I believe."

c) Do not mix numbers as words and figures in a sentence or paragraph. Be consistent.
The RMC team finished first with 834 points, four points ahead of the West
Point team.
The RMC team finished first with 834 points, 4 points ahead of the West
Point team.

d) Numbers in the millions or higher are written as a combination of words and Arabic numerals. Numbers with a long succession of zeros should be rewritten as an abbreviation.
1,500,000
1.5 million

e) Spell out a number when it occurs at the beginning of a sentence. This also includes the related numbers that closely follow it.
Sixteen cadets were expected to show up, but two were SIQ.
Nineteen eighty-four proved to be a less eventful year than Orwell imagined it would be.

f) Write out numbers in historical, biblical, or formal references, unless referring to passages from the Bible.
the Thirteen Colonies
the Ten Commandments
John 3:16.

g) Ordinal numbers modifying the names of churches and financial institutions are usually written out.
First Baptist Church

2. Using Ordinals and Cardinals

Although the autoformat feature of most word processors will prompt you to superscript ordinal expression such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, it is no longer conventional to do so. To correct this error, simply edit/undo (Ctrl+Z) after each superscript or disable the autoformat feature, so that the ordinals appear as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th.

a) In DND writing, it is preferable to write out ordinals when listing points in a paragraph.
Codes of professional ethics serve three principle functions in society. First, they protect the members of the society against abuse by members of the profession who might choose to exploit their monopoly of expertise; second, they define the professional as a responsible and trustworthy expert in the service of his ‘client'; and third, they delineate the moral authority for actions necessary to the professional function but generally impermissible in moral terms.

b) Be consistent. Ordinals should be treated in the same way as cardinal numbers.
This is plane number 9, and it will be departing 9th.
You are jumper number nine, and you will exit the plane ninth.

c) Designations of large military units, especially in a foreign or historical context, may be written out in ordinals; otherwise, use cardinal numerals.
Sixth Fleet
422 Tactical Helicopter Squadron

3. Special Uses of Numbers

a) Addresses. Street and avenue designations up to and including Tenth are usually spelled out.
Fifth Avenue
34th St.

b) Age. Exact age is usually indicated in numerals, even if less than 10. Approximate ages are written out.
Xavier enlisted when he was 18 years old.
Belinda looks to be about twenty-five.

c) Numbers as Adjectives. When compound numbers are used adjectivally, insert hyphens between the components.
Soldiers completed a 28-hour period of sleep deprivation that began at 0700 hours and concluded the next morning at 1100.

d) Date. For full calendar dates, cardinal numbers are used. When day and month only are given, cardinal or ordinal forms may be used, but they should not be combined.
November 11, 1918 or 11 November 1918
May 9th or the 9th of May
July 1st, 2005 nor July first, 2005

e) Fractions. In non-technical writing, spell out simple fractions, especially when used in isolation. In technical writing, decimals are preferred to fractions.
Thankfully, the fatality rate equaled half of one percent.

e) Mathematical Usage. Use numerals for numbers treated as nouns in mathematical usage. Algebraic expressions should be italicized to distinguish them from symbols of measurement.
multiply by 2
10 plus 7
3ab plus 4a equals 2a2b

f) Measurements. In technical writing, numbers representing measurement are expressed numerically. The International System of Units (SI) is the current standard for symbols of measurement in technical writing.
Researchers demonstrated in a series of studies using a marksmanship simulator with non- sleep-deprived military volunteers that 200 mg of caffeine improved target detection speed without adversely affecting rifle-firing accuracy.

g) Money. Sums of money are usually expressed in numerals, except when they refer to round or indefinite amounts or are used in a formal or legal context.
The price of gas is currently 87.9 cents a liter.
His racing bike cost around three thousand dollars.

h) Numbers as Nouns. Use numerals when numbers are referred to as nouns.
Will you be taking Highway 2 to Gananoque?
She arrives Friday on Air Canada Flight 453.

i) Plurals. Plurals of numerals are usually formed by adding an s.

BTO was a popular Canadian band in the 1970s.
Wanda bowls in the 280s.

j) Reference Numbers. Page references are usually written in Arabic numbers.

You will find a more exhaustive account of numerical expressions on pages 89-103 of The Canadian Style.

k) Time. Write the time of day in the appropriate numerical form (24-hour clock for DND writing), except in descriptive text and in approximations.
The choir practices every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
I started work sometime before eight.
From 0500 to 0700 hours the soldiers practiced marksmanship with a small arms simulator.