One-Minute Communications Tips Archive
June 2007

When to Write Figures, Not Words

Most writers spell out numbers below 10 and use figures for 10 and above, as recommended by the Associated Press Stylebook. Advertising copywriters and magazine editors, however, grab attention by using figures as often as possible.

Headlines such as "Try it free for 7 days" or "4 Secrets to a Healthy Marriage" break the Associated Press rule. But using figures rather than words gives them at least two advantages.

First, they are quicker to read, even if by only a fraction of a second. And second, figures imply facts and precision, making the headlines more believable.

Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen advises showing all numbers as figures in online copy — even at the beginning of sentences and bullets.

So the next time you spell out a number less than 10, consider whether you'd be better off writing it as a figure instead.
 

© Arun Sinha, Access Communications. Access Communications is a marketing communications and technical writing firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. Sign up for Access Communications's One-Minute Communication Tip at http://www.AccessConsultingInc.com. Once a month, you'll receive an actionable idea or technique on an aspect of business communications, distilled into about 150 words.

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