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* Spell out numbers under 10.
* Use numerals for numbers 10 and above.
* Always use numerals for the following: ages, sums of money, time
of day, percentages, house numerals, years, days of month, degrees of
temperature, proportions, votes, scores, speeds, time of races,
dimensions and serial numbers.
* One exception to the above rules: always spell out a number that
begins a sentence, except if it is a year.
* Use Roman numerals (IV, III) for popes, royalty and wars.
* For large numbers (millions, billions, trillions, etc) do not
write out the zeros but instead use numerals followed by the word:
Tuesday's gathering brought together an astonishing 3.5 million
protesters from across the nation.
One other exception. On the copy desk, we always used numerals, even for
one to 10, in headlines. Why? I was told it was because of the more
instant reader recognition of numerals.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Connie Giordano
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 9:22 PM
To: 'Deborah Hemstreet'; 'praneeta p'
Cc: '.TECHWR-L'
Subject: RE: one vs 1
I don't know the Associated Press' rationale, but it's been in their
style guide for at least 30 years (I still have my copy from my
undergraduate days). I'm trying to dredge up the memories from those
classes, and I vaguely recall that it had to do with both clarity in how
it displayed in typical newspaper columns and saving lead when
typesetting the stories....
then again, it was 30 years ago so I could be totally misremembering it.
It was their way to ensure consistency, whether or not it made any sense
from a cognition perspective.
Connie Giordano
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+connie=therightwordz -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+connie=therightwordz -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Deborah Hemstreet
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:33 PM
To: praneeta p
Cc: .TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: one vs 1
Now there IS the question. What IS the rationale behind the rule?
Golly, you'd think I'd have asked that question... right now I'm
documenting processes and procedures where everything is WHY do you do
this that way and not this way, and I don't know WHY we spell out any
number under 10, except, that is the rule.
Well I for 1 think it's time 2 change <grin>.
Deborah
On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 12:01 PM, praneeta p
<praneeta_paradkar -at- yahoo -dot- com>wrote:
> The only problem in not spelling out numbers 0 to 9 could be that you
> run the risk of sounding not-so-formal.
>
> And if that's the only rationale, I think there is no harm in breaking
> the rule.
>
> Does anyone have a different explanation for the rationale behind this
> rule?
>
> Would like to hear.
>
>
> --- On *Tue, 29/9/09, Deborah Hemstreet
<dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com>*wrote:
>
>
> From: Deborah Hemstreet <dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com>
> Subject: one vs 1
> To: ".TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Date: Tuesday, 29 September, 2009, 8:32 PM
>
> Hi All,
>
> I've written a brochure for a company to distribute to their
employees.
>
> I am in somewhat of a dilemma: Corrections have been returned and they
> would like all numbers to be printed as numbers (1 not one).
> However, the RULES of writing say to spell out all numbers less than
10.
>
> When writing a statement such as: "There is a one week waiting period
> (seven consecutive calendar days)"... I have to be honest, I believe
> the target audience will absorb the information better as: "There is
> a 1 week
waiting
> period (7 consecutive calendar days)"...
>
> What do you think?
>
> --
> Deborah
>http://www.tech-challenged.com
>
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vora
@tech-challenged.com>
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--
Deborah Hemstreet
Technical and Medical Writer http://www.tech-challenged.com
dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual authors
and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write once, publish
to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as connie -at- therightwordz -dot- com -dot-
Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as Jim -dot- Pinkham -at- voith -dot- com -dot-
Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
---
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