The Government of Yukon takes a flexible approach to writing numbers. The style you use depends on what you’re writing and who's reading it. Be consistent within a document or group of products.
The four main types of products and content are:
- public materials;
- digital content:
- internal government materials; and
- technical, scientific and financial documents.
Public materials
For materials such as news releases, flyers, brochures, strategies and annual reports, write:
- numbers one to nine in letters; and
- numbers 10 and above in digits.
If you cannot rearrange a sentence to avoid starting with a number, write the number as a word.
Not: 19 organizations responded to the survey.
But: Nineteen organizations responded to the survey.
The only exception is when you're writing a news release heading that starts with a number. Write that number as a digit, not a word.
Digital content
In digital content write all numbers as digits. This includes using a digit at the start of a sentence or heading.
Not: Three ways to take part
But: 3 ways to take part
The only exception is when you're using a number as part of a phrase or expression or more casually.
Not: 1 of the ways to take part is to attend a focus group, It's 1of the highest scores, 100s of people were at the meeting
But: One of the ways to take part is to attend a focus group, It's one of the highest scores, Hundreds of people were at the meeting
Also see the guidance on Ordinals.
Internal government materials
Write numbers one to nine in letters, and write 10 and above in digits in materials including briefing notes and Cabinet submissions.
Technical, scientific and financial documents
Write numbers in technical, scientific and financial documents and reports as digits. This is so they're visible, distinct, clear and precise.
Commas in numbers
Include a comma in numbers of 1,000 and above.
Not: 2000
But: 2,000
Dates
Do not write dates as ordinals or use superscript.
Not: January 20th, June 21st
But: January 20, June 21
Money
This guidance applies to writing about money in materials such as web pages, news releases, speeches, social media content and annual reports. It does not apply to documents such as spreadsheets and financial reports.
You can include “.00” in money amounts if it helps to make formatting consistent.
For millions, round amounts down to 1 or 2 digits after the decimal point.
Not: $110.553 million, $1.643 million
But: $110.5 million, "more than $110 million", $1.6 million
For billions, you can round amounts down to up to 3 digits after the decimal point.
Do not use "k" to mean thousands. Use zeroes.
Not: $100k, $100 k
But: $100,000
Be cautious about any rounding up.
View a good example of writing about money in a news release.
View a good example of how to write money amounts.
Ordinals
Ordinals describe the position of things in a list, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on.
In everything except digital content, write out first to ninth as words. For numbers 10 and above write 10th, 15th, 20th and so on.
Not: They came 3rd in the race, It was their fiftieth anniversary
But: They came third in the race, It was their 50th anniversary
Ordinals in addresses and directions
Use ordinals for street names and floors in addresses and directions.
Not: Second Avenue, Third Street, fourth floor
But: 2nd Avenue, 3rd Street, 4th floor
View the guidance on writing addresses and contact information.
Ordinals in digital content
Use numbers for ordinals in digital content, except when you're using an ordinal as a regular word in a phrase.
Using ordinals for positions, ranks and sequences
Not: Follow the first, second and third steps, The developer is working on the first of the subdivision's 3 phases
But: Follow the 1st, 2nd and 3rd steps, The developer is working on the 1st of the subdivision's 3 phases
Avoiding using ordinals as regular words
Not: 1st aid kit, They were the 1st to arrive
But: first-aid kit, They were the first to arrive
Ordinal sizes
Never use superscript for ordinals in digital or any other content. This is because:
- superscript is harder to read; and
- screen readers often do not read them out correctly.
Not: 2nd place, 10th floor, 100th Street
But: 2nd place, 10th floor, 100th Street
Per cent
Write per cent as 2 words in all cases except in financial reports and documents. Use per cent for the Budget address.
Tables
Use digits in tables, not words.
911
Not: 9-1-1
But: 911