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 vs. number
- 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 last year.
- 🚫 Don't: The total number of square feet in the classroom includes a lab.
Numbers in copy
- Spell out one through nine, except in headlines.
- Use figures for 10 and greater, and for units of measurement and ages:
- ✅ Do: 3 miles.
- ✅ 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:
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.
- ✅ 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.
- ✅ 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.
- Use the dollar sign and the decimal system for amounts larger than a dollar:
- 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.
- ✅ 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.
- 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.
- In casual uses, use words, not figures or numbers:
- ✅ Do: The latecomer had a zero percent chance of being first in line.
- ✅ 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
- ✅ 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.
Tables, tabular data and statistics
- Use figures for all numbers in tabular material and statistical and sequential forms.
- In tables, the use of 2x and + are acceptable. Learn more about punctuation and symbols.