Numerals

This section provides style guidelines for the use of numerals in text that align with the ASU brand in addition to the latest AP style updates.

• Amount refers to quantities measured in bulk or mass but considered as a whole.
  • ✅ Do: The amount of square feet in the classroom is enough to include a lab.
  • 🚫 Don't: She counted the amount of candies in the jar.
• Number refers to things that can be counted individually.
  • ✅ Do: The number of books in the library grew in the last year.
  • 🚫 Don't: The total number of square feet in the classroom includes a lab.
     

• Spell out one through nine, except in headlines.
• Use figures for 10 and greater, and for units of measurement and ages: 
  • ✅ Do: 3 mile.
  • ✅ Do: 18 years old
• Spell out casual references: 
  • ✅ Do: ASU attracts thousands of international students each year.
  • ✅ Do: He walked a quarter of a mile.
• Do not use both a word and numeric version of a number in a sentence: 
  • ✅ Do: Choose one of the sessions
  • 🚫 Don't: Choose one (1) of the classes
• Beginning a sentence: 
  • Spell out a number at the beginning of a sentence except for calendar years: 
    • ✅ Do: Twenty people registered for the seminar.
    • ✅ Do: 1976 was a very good year.
  • A numeral-and-letter combination may start a sentence. 
    • ✅ Do: 3D movies are popular in the U.S.
    • ✅ Do: 401(k) plans are offered at the company.
       

Ages 

• Always use figures, even for numbers less than 10: 
  • ✅ Do: She was 6 years old when she decided she wanted to be a Sun Devil.
     

Decimals

• Use numerals and a decimal point when expressing all fractional values. 
• For amounts less than one, add a zero before the decimal point and use the singular form of the measurement if singular: 
  • ✅ Do: 0.35 meter
  • ✅ Do: 0.55 cubic foot
  • ✅ Do: 0.75 kilometer
• For grade point averages, include the hundredths place unless there are special circumstances: 
  • ✅ Do: 2.00 GPA
     

Dollars, cents, money

• Use lowercase for denominations: dollar, cent, euro.
• Do not hyphenate numerals and denominations.
  • 🚫 Don't: 2-million
  • 🚫 Don't: 10-cents
• Cents: For amounts less than a dollar, spell out cents.
  • ✅ Do: 5 cents
  • 🚫 Don't: 5¢
  • 🚫 Don't: $.05
• Dollars: 
  • Use the dollar sign and the decimal system for amounts larger than a dollar: 
    • ✅ Do: $1.01
    • ✅ Do: $2.50
    • 🚫 Don't: 2 dollars
      
      Exceptions: Use the dollar sign with numerals in all cases except casual references of amounts without a numeral: about a hundred dollars.
  • For amounts less than $1 million, do not include decimal places: 
    • ✅ Do: $4
    • ✅ Do: $1,000
    • ✅ Do: $650,000
  • For amounts more than $1 million, use two decimal places if available: 
    • ✅ Do: Professor Jones was awarded a $4.35 million grant.
    • ✅ Do: He expended exactly $4,349,242 over the course of the grant.
    • ✅ Do: They proposed a $300 billion budget.
    • 🚫 Don't: $4.35M (except in tabular format), $300 Billion.
• Euros: Do not use € for euros, spell out: 
  • ✅ Do: 1,000 euros 
  • 🚫 Don't: €1,000
     

Fractions

• Use figures for precise amounts larger than one, converting to decimals when possible. See Decimals.
• In text: Spell out fractions less than one in text, using hyphens between the words: 
  • ✅ Do: Two-thirds
  • ✅ Do: Seven-sixteenths
• In tabular formats: Use figures exclusively, converting to decimals if the amounts involve extensive use of fractions that cannot be expressed as a single character. See Decimals.
   

Grade levels

• Use the numerals with an en dash and no spaces: 
  • ✅ Do: The program is designed for teachers in grades 7–12.

Note: To create an en dash: Mac — Option+Minus keys; PC — Ctrl+Alt+Minus keys. See Punctuation and symbols for en dash guidelines.

Measurements

• Always use figures, even for numbers less than 10: 
  • ✅ Do: He lived just 3 miles from ASU’s West campus.
     

Ordinals

•  Unless the ordinal is part of an official name or title: 
  • ✅ Do: Spell out first through ninth.
  • ✅ Do: Use figures for 10th and above.
• Do not use superscript formatting. See Formatting for superscript guidelines.
   

Percent, percentage, percentage points

• Use the % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases: 
  • ✅ Do: The school’s enrollment increased 3.1% from a year ago.
  • ✅ Do: Nearly 14% were first-generation students.
• Constructions with the % sign take a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an “of” construction: 
  • ✅ Do: Nearly 40% of the class was offered a chance to participate.
  • ✅ Do: The rancher reported 75% of the crop was harvested in September.
• The % sign takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an “of” construction: 
  • ✅ Do: The rancher reported 75% of his trees were infested.
  • ✅ Do: Nearly 80% of the professor’s students participated.
• Use whole numbers and decimals, not fractions, in percentages: 
  • ✅ Do: Nearly 10% of the crows migrated north.
  • ✅ Do: The increase in subscriptions was 13.25%.
  • 🚫 Don't: The increase in subscriptions was 13¼%.
• For a range, the following are all acceptable: 
  • ✅ Do: 12% to 15%
  • ✅ Do: 12%–15% 
  • ✅ Do: between 12% and 15%
• For amounts less than 1% precede the decimal with a zero: 
  • ✅ Do: The cost of living rose 0.6%.
• Use percentage, rather than percent, when not paired with a number: 
  • ✅ Do: The percentage of people agreeing is small.
  • ✅ Do: A large percentage of the student body participated.
• Be careful not to confuse percent with percentage point: 
  • A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points. This is not equal to a 3% change; rather, it’s a 30% increase.
    • ✅ Do: Legislators passed a 0.25 percentage point tax cut.
    • 🚫 Don't: Legislators passed a 0.25 percentage points tax cut.
    • 🚫 Don't: Legislators passed a tax cut of 0.25 of a percentage point.
• In casual uses, use words, not figures or numbers: 
  • ✅ Do: The latecomer had a zero percent chance of being first in line.
     

Phone numbers

• Use only figures and hyphens: 
  • ✅ Do: 480-555-5555 
  • 🚫 Don't: (480) 555-5555
  • 🚫 Don't: 480/555-5555
  • 🚫 Don't: 480.965.5555
• Always use an area code, but do not surround it with parentheses: 
  • ✅ Do: 480-555-5555 
  • 🚫 Don't: 555-5555
• If an extension number is needed, separate it with a comma: 
  • ✅ Do: 480-555-5555, ext. 21
     

Rankings

See Rankings.
 

Ratios

• Use figures and hyphens, no spaces between. Always include ratio or other noun with the figures.
  • ✅ Do: 22-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio
  • ✅ Do: A majority of 7-to-3

Temperature

• Use figures for all except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign, to indicate temperatures below zero.
  • ✅ Do: The day's low was minus 10, 🚫 Don't: The day's low was -10. 
  • ✅ Do: The day's low was 10 below zero, 🚫 Don't: The day’s low was 10 below 0.
• Punctuation: 
  • ✅ Do: 5-degree temperatures
  • ✅ Do: Temperatures fell 5 degrees.
  • ✅ Do: Temperatures in the 30s (no apostrophe).
• Temperatures get higher or lower, but they don't get warmer or cooler.
  • ✅ Do: Temperatures are expected to rise in the area Friday. 
  • 🚫 Don't: Temperatures are expected to warm up in the area Friday.