How to Write Numbers in Words: Lakh, Crore and Cheque Amounts
Writing ₹1,27,450.75 on a cheque or an agreement in words, under pressure at a bank counter, is exactly when people write "one lakh twenty seven thousand four hundred fifty" and forget the paise, or mix up lakh and million. Number to words spells numbers out correctly in Indian or international grouping, in English or Hindi, and in cheque format.
Steps
- Type a number. Commas, spaces and a ₹ sign are fine.
- Choose the grouping, language and style.
- Press Copy next to the line you need.
Indian vs international grouping
International uses thousand, million, billion, trillion.
Indian uses thousand, lakh and crore. So 1,50,000 is "one lakh fifty thousand", and 12,00,00,000 is "twelve crore". For reference: 1 lakh = 1,00,000 (one hundred thousand) and 1 crore = 1,00,00,000 (ten million).
This matters beyond cheques. A property listing in crores, a startup funding announcement in millions, and an annual report that needs both; conversions are a classic source of errors by a factor of ten.
Hindi
Choose Hindi to get words with हज़ार, लाख, करोड़, अरब and खरब. For example, 2,51,000 becomes "दो लाख इक्यावन हज़ार". Cheque style in Hindi ends with "रुपये मात्र". Useful for forms and documents that need the amount in Hindi.
Cheque style
Cheque style writes "Rupees … and … Paise Only", taking paise from the first two decimal digits. So 12500.50 becomes "Rupees Twelve Thousand Five Hundred and Fifty Paise Only".
Plain style reads decimals digit by digit ("point two five"), which suits reading numbers aloud or technical documents.
Writing a cheque properly
A few habits banks recommend, and that protect you:
- Write the amount in words on one line, starting at the far left so nothing can be added in front.
- End with "Only" and draw a line after it, so nobody can append words.
- Make sure the words and figures match exactly; a mismatch can get the cheque returned.
- Don't leave gaps between words.
Limits
Up to 15 digits before the decimal point are spelled: 999 trillion in international grouping, or 99 lakh crore in Indian.
Other uses
- Invoices and quotations that need the total in words (common in India for GST invoices).
- Legal documents and agreements where amounts appear in both figures and words.
- Teaching children place values and the Indian number system.
- Checking a large number you read in the news: is 45,00,00,000 four crore or forty-five crore? (Forty-five.)
Example
Rent agreement deposit: ₹1,80,000. Indian grouping, cheque style: "Rupees One Lakh Eighty Thousand Only". Need it in Hindi for a bilingual agreement? Switch the language to Hindi and the cheque-style line ends with "रुपये मात्र". Copy both versions into the document.
Why lakh and crore trip people up
The Indian system groups digits in twos after the first thousand (1,00,000), while the international system groups in threes (100,000). The same digits, written with different commas, look like different numbers to anyone used to the other system. Converting between "million" and "lakh" in your head is where errors creep in: 10 lakh is 1 million, 1 crore is 10 million, and 100 crore is 1 billion. Let the tool do it, and copy the words rather than retyping them.
Privacy
According to the page, the number stays in the tab and isn't uploaded. The page shows Google ads, like the rest of the site.
FAQ
How do I write an amount on a cheque? Use cheque style; write it on one line and draw a line after "Only".
What are 1 lakh and 1 crore? 1,00,000 and 1,00,00,000.
Can I get Hindi words? Yes, choose Hindi.
Can I type commas? Yes, along with spaces and a ₹ sign.
Get the words right every time with Number to words.
— Alok Kumar Singh