Numbers in words: lakh, crore, million, and how to write a cheque amount

You have to write an amount in words on a cheque, an invoice, a receipt, an agreement or a demand draft. The figures say 12,34,567.50, but the form wants it spelled out, and now you need to be sure you have the "lakh" and "thousand" in the right place, because a mistake can mean the cheque is rejected or, worse, misread. The free Number to Words Converter writes any number in words in either the Indian or the international system, including rupees and paise. This guide explains how large numbers are named, the rules for cheques, and how to avoid the usual errors.

Two systems, two ways of grouping

Both systems write numbers in groups of digits, but they group them differently.

International system: groups of three. 1,234,567,890 is split as 1 | 234 | 567 | 890 and read as one billion, two hundred thirty-four million, five hundred sixty-seven thousand, eight hundred ninety.

Indian system: the first group is three digits, and every group after that is two digits. 1,23,45,67,890 is split as 1 | 23 | 45 | 67 | 890, and it is read as one hundred twenty-three crore forty-five lakh sixty-seven thousand eight hundred ninety.

The names are different too:

Number	Indian system	International system
1,000	one thousand	one thousand
10,000	ten thousand	ten thousand
1,00,000	one lakh	one hundred thousand
10,00,000	ten lakh	one million
1,00,00,000	one crore	ten million
1,00,00,00,000	one hundred crore	one billion

So one crore is ten million, and one lakh is a hundred thousand. Anyone moving between systems, for example when reading international news about Indian companies, needs this conversion. A small tip for quick mental conversion: 1 million is 10 lakh and 1 billion is 100 crore.

What the tool does

You type a number, with or without commas, and choose:

• the system: Indian (lakh, crore) or international (million, billion);
• the format: rupees and paise (for cheques and invoices), or a plain number.

It then writes the words, and a button copies them. Some real outputs from the tool:

Input	Mode	Output
105	Indian, rupees	One hundred five rupees only
1,00,000	Indian, rupees	One lakh rupees only
12,34,567.50	Indian, rupees	Twelve lakh thirty-four thousand five hundred sixty-seven rupees and fifty paise only
10000000	Indian, rupees	One crore rupees only
10000000	International, plain	Ten million
2500.75	Indian, rupees	Two thousand five hundred rupees and seventy-five paise only
1234567890	International, plain	One billion two hundred thirty-four million five hundred sixty-seven thousand eight hundred ninety

The tool handles up to 15 digits before the decimal point, which covers amounts well into the crore range, and up to two decimal places.

Writing amounts on a cheque

Banks expect the words and the figures to match exactly. If they differ, the bank may refuse the cheque or, in some cases, go by the words. The usual rules for the amount in words:

1. Write it on one line, starting at the very left, leaving no gaps where someone could add a word.
2. Begin with a capital letter and write out the full words: "Twelve thousand three hundred forty-five".
3. Include paise if there are any: "…rupees and fifty paise".
4. End with "only" so that nothing can be added after it.
5. Draw a line through any unused space to the end of the box.
6. Write the figures in the box, with a currency symbol close to the first digit, so that nothing can be put in front of it.
7. Do not overwrite. If you make a mistake, use a new cheque, because an altered cheque may not be accepted.

For ₹12,345.50 the words are: Twelve thousand three hundred forty-five rupees and fifty paise only. The converter produces this text directly, so you can copy it and check it against your handwriting.

The "and" question

Is it "one hundred five" or "one hundred and five"? Both are correct English. In British usage, "and" appears after the hundreds ("one hundred and five"), while in American usage it is usually left out. Cheques and invoices in India commonly omit the "and" between hundreds and tens, to avoid confusion with the "and" that separates rupees from paise. The converter follows that convention: "One hundred five rupees only", and "rupees and fifty paise" keeps the only "and" for the paise.

Common conversion examples

• Rent: ₹25,000 is twenty-five thousand rupees only.
• A salary: ₹7,50,000 is seven lakh fifty thousand rupees only.
• A flat: ₹85,00,000 is eighty-five lakh rupees only, or eight and a half million in the international system.
• A company revenue: ₹1,200 crore is one thousand two hundred crore, which is twelve billion in the international system.
• A fee with paise: ₹1,180 is one thousand one hundred eighty rupees only, and ₹1,178.82 is one thousand one hundred seventy-eight rupees and eighty-two paise only.

For a GST invoice, work out the total with the GST Calculator, then write it out with this tool. If you are writing a loan amount from the EMI Calculator, you can do the same with the principal.

Using the tool

1. Open the Number to Words Converter.
2. Type the number. Commas are allowed.
3. Choose the Indian or international system.
4. Choose rupees and paise for a cheque or invoice, or a plain number.
5. Copy the result with the button below it.

It runs in your browser, works offline once the page has loaded, and sends nothing to a server.

Decimals and zero

In plain-number mode, decimals are read digit by digit: 0.5 becomes "zero point five" and 2500.75 becomes "two thousand five hundred point seven five". In rupee mode, the decimals become paise, so 0.5 is "zero rupees and fifty paise only". Amounts are limited to two decimal places because paise are hundredths of a rupee.

Hyphens and spelling

Compound numbers from 21 to 99 are written with a hyphen: twenty-one, forty-five, ninety-nine. Numbers such as 100 are one hundred, not "a hundred", in formal documents. Use the spelling "lakh" and "crore", which are standard in Indian English; some older documents write "lac".

Common mistakes

• Mixing the systems: writing "ten million" when the amount is one crore on a document that expects Indian words, or the other way round.
• Misplacing commas: 1,00,000 (Indian) and 100,000 (international) are the same value, but a reader used to one format may misread the other.
• Leaving space after the words, so that extra words can be added.
• Forgetting "only".
• Words and figures that do not match.
• Counting zeros by eye in a long number. Paste the digits into the tool and compare.

Related tools

To check a calculated total before you write it out, use the Percentage Calculator or the Discount & Profit Margin Calculator. To count the words and characters of the text you will paste into a document, use the Word Counter, and to change its capitalisation, the Case Converter.

Quick answers

How many lakh make a crore? One hundred lakh make one crore.

Is one crore ten million? Yes.

Why does the amount end with "only"? So that nothing can be added after it.

What is the largest number it converts? Up to 15 digits before the decimal point.

Is my number sent anywhere? No. The conversion runs in your browser.