Number to words
Write amounts in words for cheques and invoices, in the Indian or international system, with currency.
Amounts in words, in either number system
Invoices, cheques, legal agreements and payment systems often ask for an amount twice: in figures and in words, so that the figure cannot be quietly altered. Writing "one lakh twenty-three thousand four hundred fifty-six and fifty paise only" by hand is slow and mistakes are costly, and developers need the same conversion in code, for example when generating PDF invoices.
Enter a number and choose the system. The international system groups in thousands, millions and billions; the Indian system uses thousand, lakh, crore and the larger arab and kharab, with matching comma grouping (12,34,567). Add a currency (US dollars, euros, pounds or Indian rupees) and the tool writes whole units and fractional units ("fifty-six cents", "fifty paise") and can append "only". Decimals without a currency are read digit by digit: 3.14 is "three point one four". Numbers of any length work, because the conversion uses arbitrary-precision integers.
Notes for developers
- Java has no built-in number-to-words. Libraries exist (ICU4J
RuleBasedNumberFormatsupports many languages), but for simple English output a short method is enough. - Never use floating-point values for money; the tool reads the digits as text and does not round.
- Only two decimal places are used for currency; extra digits are cut off, not rounded.
The conversion runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Indian and international systems?
The international system groups digits in threes (thousand, million, billion): 1,234,567 is one million two hundred thirty-four thousand five hundred sixty-seven. The Indian system groups the last three digits and then pairs (thousand, lakh, crore): 12,34,567 is twelve lakh thirty-four thousand five hundred sixty-seven.
What are lakh and crore?
A lakh is 100,000 (10^5) and a crore is 10,000,000 (10^7). Larger Indian units are arab (10^9), kharab (10^11), neel (10^13) and padma (10^15).
Where do I need amounts in words?
Cheques, invoices, contracts and loan documents often require the amount in words to prevent alteration, usually ending in "only". Use currency mode for rupees and paise, dollars and cents, and so on.
What does the British "and" option do?
British usage inserts "and" after the hundreds: one hundred and one. American usage omits it: one hundred one.