Thirty Three Hundred In Numbers

When to Hyphenate Numbers

Nosotros've written nigh hyphens and numbers before, but here nosotros're combining the two. Why? Because it isn't always clear when a number needs a hyphen. Still, the ii main occasions to hyphenate numbers are:

When writing out compound numbers as words.
When using a number as part of an adjective.

Read on to detect out when to hyphenate numbers in your writing.

Compound Numbers (21–99)

E'er hyphenate the numbers 21 to 99 when writing them out as words:

I have twenty-1 pairs of novelty socks.

My grandma is sixty-seven years old.

I have ninety-nine problems, but none involve a female person domestic dog.

Do the same when writing an ordinal version of one of these numbers:

My forty-first altogether was the best day ever.

And when writing a larger number that contains one of these numbers:

I ate i hundred and twenty-2 burgers in 2019.

Effectually twenty-iv million people consume fast food every twenty-four hour period.

Where applicative, you can also omit the "and" when writing out larger numbers if preferred:

I ate i hundred twenty-ii burgers in 2019.

Notwithstanding, it's simply 21 to 99 that we hyphenate in these large numbers. Larger round numbers, such as "one hundred," practice not require a hyphen.

Chemical compound Adjectives

Ever hyphenate adjectives that include a number when they appear in front end of the noun they're modifying. This applies to both words and numerals:

A six-foot ladder volition be tall enough.

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Nosotros study seventeenth-century manuscripts.

I will ship a forty-page document later today.

The 7-year-old male child lost his whistle.

However, these numbers don't need a hyphen when they occur elsewhere:

The ladder is six feet tall.

The document comprises 40 pages.

Keep in mind, besides, that some way guides advise omitting the hyphen when a unit of measurement is abbreviated. For example, if you were using the Chicago Manual of Style, yous would hyphenate an adjectival measurement when writing the unit out in full, but non when abbreviating it:

A six-foot ladder volition be tall enough.

A 6 ft. ladder will be alpine enough.

The same rules apply when writing out fractions. As a result, we hyphenate them when they're used adjectivally in front end of a noun, but not in other cases:

A ii-third bulk voted for the new laws.

He ate two thirds of the cake.

This same convention applies to other compound adjectives, too.

Summary: When to Hyphenate Numbers

Rules tin vary on when to hyphenate numbers, so information technology is always worth checking your style sail if yous or your employer has ane (or if y'all accept been asked to use a standard style guide, like APA or Chicago). Yet, there are ii occasions when it is standard to hyphenate a number:

When writing out 21 to 99 as words (e.g., twenty-one, xc-nine).
When a number is function of an adjective (e.g., a 7-year-old boy).

And if you'd like an expert editor to check you've used numbers correctly in writing, why not submit a document for proofreading today? Nosotros'll help you attain perfect punctuation every time!