Technical Communication 6e Usage Handbook

Numbers > 5.1 Ordinal vs. Cardinal
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(Note: These conventions for use of figures and words are based on those suggested for scientific and technical use in the 14th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. More specialized usage is presented in the United States Government Printing Office Style Manual.)

Generally, use words for numbers one through nine and figures for all other numbers, both cardinal and ordinal.

Examples of Cardinals (count)

The office suite has seven rooms.
The manufacturing facility has 22,000 square feet.

Examples of Ordinals (order)

The company was second in mass market sales.
She ranked 23rd out of the 300 applicants.

 

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