> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://style.pixelunion.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://style.pixelunion.net/language/numbers-and-dates.md).

# Numbers and figures

Generally speaking, we follow the guidelines laid out in the [Canadian Press Stylebook](https://www.thecanadianpress.com/writing-guide/). It's a great resource, but it costs $37, and we know you'd rather spend your money on tacos. 

Here's (most of) what you need to know:

### General

* Spell out numbers under 10, and use digits for 10 and above.
  * **Three cats, nine trees, 10 friends, 20,000 sales**
  * **First place, second-best, 11th grade, 60th birthday**
* For numbers beginning a sentence, spell out the number.
  * **Fifteen people attended the event.**
  * *Except* in blog titles like the following, where we default to digits for ease of reading and scan-ability:
    * **10 Shopify apps to help you win Black Friday**
* Spell out fractions.
  * **Two-thirds**, not **2/3**
* Use a hyphen to express a range.
  * **International shipping generally takes 10-15 days.**
* Numbers in the millions or higher should be written as a combination of words and figures.
  * **$23 million, 3.1 million people,** etc.
  * When such compound numbers are used as adjectives, add hyphens between the components.
    * **a 1.2-million increase in sales**

### Dates and time

* When referencing dates, use the full, four-digit year. It's also okay to use the abbreviated form for decades.
  * **She opened her boutique in 1996.**
  * **Their site design is stuck in the '90s.**
* Specific dates take this format:
  * **Thursday, January 11, 2018**
* If you're writing the recent date into a sentence, write it like this:
  * **We launched the new site October 9th.**
* Don't use the possessive form for decades or centuries.
  *   **1920s** not **1920’s**
* Use figures and a.m./p.m. when writing about time. Add a space before a.m./p.m.
  * **7:30 a.m.** 
  * For "round" times, you can also drop the minutes and write **4 p.m**.
    * Just don't write "at 4 p.m. in the afternoon." 🤦‍♀️

### Money

* Use the dollar sign before the amount. Include a decimal and number of cents unless it's a round dollar amount.
  * **$20** or **$19.99**
* If the amount is greater than $1 million, write "$1 million," otherwise write it out.
  * **$575,000**
* Don't use K, M, or B to signify thousand, million, or billion.
  * **$100,000** not **$100K**

### Percentages

* Use the percent sign (%) rather than spelling out "percent" (or "per cent"). 
  * **The landing page had a 40% conversion rate.**

### Other stuff

* Spell out figures of speech not intended to be taken literally.
  * **A picture is worth a thousand words**, not **1,000**
* For numbers in official names, follow the organization’s spelling style even when it is at odds with any of these rules.
  * **4chan, 7 Up, Six Flags** ($10 to anyone who can write an article referencing all three of those organizations.)