Numbers

When to write out numbers

Note: These rules apply unless you are quoting a source that does otherwise. Particular academic fields (for example, statistics) may have their own guidelines. 

As a general rule, you should write low numbers (ten and below) in words and larger numbers (11 and above) in figures. However, round numbers are usually spelled out (twenty, thirty, forty, from one thousand to five million).

Large numbers

With hundred and thousand you have the choice of using figures or words – but you should aim to be consistent. Million and billion may be combined with figures: 2.5 million, 3 million, 31 billion.

Note: The best way to express large numbers is the simplest way.

At the beginning of a sentence

Do not start a sentence with a figure or a symbol followed by a figure. Either write the number out in full or, if this doesn’t work, change the word order of the sentence: 

Use commas to separate thousands (4,000,000) and full stops to separate fractions (3,000.5 or 2.5 million)

Note: Opposite of Danish usage!

Exceptions

Numbers that do not take commas:

• Serial numbers
• page numbers
• ZIP codes and phone numbers.

As a rule, use figures with units of measurement that are denoted by symbols or abbreviations.

If you choose to spell out the measure, the numbers do not also have to be spelled out but may be written with figures:

Spacing

With measures denoted by symbols (£ $ € % ºC ), there should be no space between the symbol and the number. But with measures denoted by abbreviations (DKK/EUR/mm/kWh/km/h), there should be space between the measure and number.

Measurement spelling

• Write gram, kilogram (not gramme, kilogramme)
• However, use tonne not ton (‘ton’ refers to the non-metric measure)
• Write metre for the unit of length – meter as a noun (gas meter).

When to use currency codes

Use the official currency codes in official and academic contexts (press releases about research grants, reports etc.)

In less formal contexts, write ‘kroner’ (abbreviated ‘kr.’) or 'euros'. Do not capitalise ‘euro’ or ‘dollars’ or any other currency. 

When to convert to another currency

Consider converting DKK to EUR (or another currency, depending on your audience) in contexts in which your audience can’t be assumed to have an accurate sense of the value of our local currency.

Per cent (%)

In texts for a general audience/non-scientific texts, you should write out the percentage symbol as per cent (British spelling).

In texts that contain a lot of statistics, tables, sums, etc. it makes more sense to use the symbol (%).

Note: There should be no space between the symbol and the number.

Section (§)

In Danish, the symbol § most often refers to a section in an act of law or ministerial order (lovparagraf). (Note that paragraf is translated ‘clause’ in treaties, by-laws and collective agreements, and that the symbol § also refers to a clause in a contract).

Danish:  ...jf. Universitetslovens § 4, stk. 3...
English: ...pursuant to section 4(3) of the University Act... 

Abbreviated form

Do not repeat the symbol if the unit of measurement does not change.

If the symbol or abbreviation changes, however, leave a blank space on either side of the dash.

Note: Do not leave space between the symbol and the number or the dash and the numbers. Use an unspaced en dash to separate the two elements in the range. See Dashes for a more general discussion of the types of dashes and their uses.

Written out

When a range is written out, you should write from … to / between … and instead of inserting a dash. You should repeat symbols and multiples (i.e. thousand, million, etc.):

Always spell out simple fractions and hyphenate them.

Insert hyphens in fractions used as adverbs or adjectives. Don't hyphenate noun forms.

Write out fractions in combination with words.

Decimal marks

In English, the decimal fractions are separated by points – in contrast to Danish decimal commas.

Remember that the date comes before the month in British English (dd/mm/yyyy).

Always write a simple figure for the day followed by the month (spelt out in official/formal contexts), and do not separate the day, month and year with commas.

 Use all four digits when referring to specific years (i.e. 1997 not ’97) and always spell out the month. However, in footnotes, itineraries, etc. where space is at a premium, the month can be written as a number (07/08/2012). Please be aware that this format can potentially be very confusing for Americans, who write the month before the date.

Numbering the weeks of the year

Non-Danish speakers do not normally divide up the year into numbered weeks. Instead of ‘week 38’, you should write ‘the week commencing 16 September’ or ‘w/c 16 Sept' unless you are absolutely certain your readers are familiar with the Danish convention.

Avoiding redundancy

 If the year in question is absolutely clear from the context, the year may be left out.

Decades

When referring to decades, don’t include an apostrophe before the final ‘s’ (see Apostrophes).

Centuries

As a rule, you should write centuries out in full:

The beginning of a sentence

Do not start a sentence with a figure. Either write the number out in full or change the word order of the sentence.

Time ranges

Use an unspaced en dash to denote a time range. 

In running text, you should write out date ranges.

Avoiding redundancy

In lists, resumes, etc. it makes sense to use a dash to denote the range instead of writing it out. For the second figure, you should not repeat the century if it is the same, but you should always include the decade:

The 24-hour clock (military time) is generally easier for non-native speakers of English to understand than the 12-hour clock. For this reason, we recommend that you avoid using pm and am in AU-related texts as a general rule, particularly in conference programmes, schedules and meeting agendas.

Write times with a colon between hours and minutes, without adding hrs, am/pm or o’clock.