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NUMERALS OR WORDS?

In nontechnical text,

• spell out zero through nine
• use numerals for 10 and up

Exceptions:

• Spell out any number that begins a sentence.

​Use numerals for

• dates, in this format    June 29, 2012
• time 
• people's ages 
• course credits
• decimal places
• numerical data and scores
• percentages (in sentences, spell out percent, as one word)

Spell out and hyphenate simple fractions in sentences when they express a quantity.
When discussing the collective parts of something, omit the hyphen.

Scroll down to Fractions section for Web-specific instructions.

If a number below 10 and a number above 10 appear in the same sentence, the general rule is to use numerals for both if they refer to similar things.

If they quantify different things, express one with a word and the other with a numeral, if necessary, to avoid confusion. However, style is flexible on this point; it is fine to use words for both, or numerals for both, if this would not prove confusing.

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DATES, DECADES, CENTURIES AND ACADEMIC YEAR

Dates

In sentences, spell out months. If specifying month, day and year, use a comma as shown below. When specifying month and year only, do not use a comma. 
If the sentence continues, use a comma after the year, too.

In calendar listings and similar materials, abbreviate dates numerically using backslashes.

Use ordinal numbers—numerals plus "th," "st" or "rd"—for anniversaries, milestones and class reunion years.
Superscript the letters.
Superscripting sometimes throws off line spacing. In such cases, type the letters after the numeral at normal text level, as shown at the right below.

Decades and Centuries

1800s, not 1800's

Spell out and lowercase the first through ninth century.
Use ordinal numbers for all others (including future centuries); superscript the letters. (For more on ordinal numbers, scroll down.)
Hyphenate centuries when used as adjectives.

Academic Year

2012–2013 and 2012–13 both are acceptable. Link the years with an en dash.

How to create an en dash ➔

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FRACTIONS & DECIMALS

In sentences, spell out and hyphenate simple fractions such as one-half and two-thirds.

In charts and technical material that accompany College communications, express more complex fractions in decimal form when that is practical.

If complex fractions must appear in the text of College communications, use a readable format.

When writing for the web, spell out all fractions. Specialists very familiar with a specific computer program may be able to successfully format numerical fractions in Web text, but as technical details differ by program, we will not attempt to provide instructions here. When writing for the College website, it is fine to express fractions as hyphenated words.

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MEASUREMENTS

Use numerals and straight quotes to express feet and inches.    18'3"

How to format straight quotes >>

The guidelines in "Numerals or Words?" at the top of this section apply to measurements.

When a measurement functions as an adjective, hyphenate it.

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MONEY

Use a dollar symbol and numerals.

Except in financial documents,

• Use only as many digits as are necessary.  
• Combine a dollar sign, decimal numeral and word to express dollar figures of $1 million or more.
• As a rule, spell out and lowercase the name of a foreign currency. If necessary, check online to determine the English spelling of the currency's plural form.

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ORDINAL NUMBERS

Use numerals plus "th," "st" or "rd" to express these types of ordinal numbers:

• centuries from the 10^th to the present, and future centuries
• numbers of 100 and greater in official names
• class reunion years
• anniversaries
• other celebratory milestones
• athletic seeding, and the order of finish in races or meets

As a rule, superscript the letters.

Superscripting sometimes throw off line spacing. In such cases, type the letters after the numeral at normal text level.

 

PHONE NUMBERS

In sentences, use periods between the groups of numerals. Do not use parentheses.

In contact information blocks, space between groups of numerals.
Omit punctuation completely.
Precede each number with an Identifying letter: P for phone, F for fax, E for email.

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PUNCTUATION WITH NUMERALS

In numbers of 4 or more digits, use a comma after the thousands place.      1,005
Special case: omit the comma from SAT scores.   1260

Within any range of numbers meant to convey from A through B, use an unspaced en dash.

If you use from, to, between or a similar word in a sentence to introduce a range of numbers, link the numbers with a word—not with an en dash. Instead, use to, until or through between the numbers.

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SCORES

Use numerals to report test scores and athletic scores.
Formats vary by sport. See the Athletics section of this style guide, or consult the "Sports Guidelines and Style" section of the Associated Press Stylebook (available in the Gordon Athletics and College Communications offices).

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TIME OF DAY

Hours and minutes

Use numerals to express hours and minutes. If a time is "on the hour," do not enter zeros—just use the numeral representing that hour.

In material that will be printed, use small capital letters and periods for A.M. and P.M.

How to create small caps >>

On the College website (and in other media that cannot display "small caps") lowercase a.m. and p.m. 

Style is flexible regarding noon and midnight; use those words, or numerals.

When it is necessary to identify a time zone, use three-letter abbreviations with no punctuation. Those for the continental U.S. are listed below.

Ranges of times

In a schedule, announcement, or list use an unspaced en dash between the start and end time.

In a sentence introduce the time range with from and use to, through, or until between the numerals.