Numbers

Overview

This section contains information that is commonly referred to when creating Autodesk content. For additional writing resources, see References.

Abbreviating “number”

In general, avoid abbreviating the word number. The abbreviation No. and the character # aren’t widely used in other languages; this can lead to inaccurate machine-translated content. For manually translated content, check with the localization team to ensure appropriate usage. Refer as well to our localization guides for more information.

If space is an issue, such as a table header, the following abbreviations for number are listed in order of preference:

1. Leave blank: If number is understood, don’t use any preceding word or symbol.
2. No.: Use only if leaving the space blank would make the meaning unclear. Use No. for the plural as well (numbers) and capitalize to distinguish it from the word, no. For global copy, make sure it’s properly translated.
3. #: Use only if space is too constrained for No. and leaving the space blank would make the meaning unclear. For global copy, make sure it’s properly translated.

Dates

Use US date formatting.

In body copy, cite the month, day, and year in this format: August 28, 1976. Whenever possible, spell out the month. If space is limited, OK to abbreviate the month with three letters using a period (Jan., Feb., Mar., etc.). In UI text only, you may omit the period. In tables with limited space, format dates like this: 8/28/1976.

Dates take cardinal numbers. Do not add -nd, -th, -rd, or -st to the end of a date.

Date ranges

When giving a date range, use either an en dash with no space before or after, or use the word pair from and to or between and and. Do not combine the word pairs. Do not use a hyphen or an em dash.

How to create an en dash

In tables and lists, use an en dash to save space

In body copy, use one of the recommended word pairs

Degrees

Temperatures and sizes of angles are expressed in degrees.

Temperatures

In body copy, use numerals, spell out degrees, and specify F or C for Farenheit or Celsius. Examples:

In figures and tables, use the degree symbol (°). Example: Store the product at 10 °C.

Angles

In body copy, use numerals and spell out degree. Example: Draw a 180-degree arc.

In figures and tables, use the degree symbol (°). Example: Draw a 180° arc.

Figure and table captions

Use sentence case.

Fractions

Do not use case fractions. Use decimal numerals for measured magnitudes, and use words with other simple fractions.

Measurements

Spell out units of measure in body copy when the unit is not preceded by a numeral. Examples:

When a numeral and a unit of measure form a compound adjective, spell out the unit of measure in body copy unless the abbreviation is more commonly used. For example, spell out inch, pound, second, and hour, but use abbreviations such as mm, km, and MB.

Hyphenate the compound unless the unit of measure is abbreviated. Example:

Here are abbreviations for units of measure, their derivatives, and examples of how to use them:

Abbreviation	Derivative	Usage
cm	centimeter	The part measures 12 cm.
dpi	dots per inch	An adequate printer can produce 600 dpi.
g	gram	The final yield was 7.6 g.
GB	gigabyte (1 billion)	Users must have 50 GB of disk space.
GMT	Greenwich Mean Time	Noon in Seattle is 8 PM GMT.
h	hour (metric)	The image was digitized at 220 cm2/h.
hr.	hour (US)	The motor burns fuel at 1.2 gal./hr. (Abbreviate only in tables.)
Kbps	kilobits per second	Data transfer rates can reach 53 Kbps.
K	kilobyte (1,024 bits)	At 244 K, this is a relatively small file.
kHz	kilohertz	It’s a fully integrated 24-bit 48 kHz audio subsystem.
km	kilometer	The firm designed a new 69 km highway.
lb.	pound	The new laptop is 3 lb. lighter than the old model. (Abbreviate only in tables.)
m	meter	The ordinary cubicle is 2.5 m on a side.
mm	millimeter	A4 paper measures 210 by 297 mm.
MB	megabyte (1 million)	You will need at least 128 MB RAM.
Mbps	megabits per second	My internet connection’s upload speed is 23.46 Mbps.
MHz	megahertz	The new 450 MHz processors are standard.
s	second	The object’s speed is 140 m/s.
TB	terabyte (1 trillion)	High-capacity data storage is 1 TB or more.
x	by	This is a 1,280 x 1,024 32-bit color video display adapter.

With US (nonmetric) units of measure, use periods with abbreviations. (Abbreviate US units of measure only in tables.) With metric units of measure, do not use periods. Examples:

Do not add s to an abbreviation to make it plural. Examples:

Numerals

Note: See additional guidance in Usage and style.

In general, spell out numbers zero through nine, and use figures for 10 and higher.

Exceptions that always take figures

Common exceptions include the following:

• Addresses. Example: 7 Park Place.

• Ages (but not for inanimate objects). Examples:

• Cents. Example: 8 cents.

• Dollars. Do not include a period and two zeroes when referring to an even dollar figure. Example: $3.

• Dates. Dates take cardinal numbers.

• Dimensions. Examples:

Note: Do not use case fractions such as ½ or 1⁄4. Use decimal numerals for measured magnitudes, and use words with other simple fractions.

• Headings and subheads. Example: 3 top trends show green-building technology on the rise.

• Highways. Example: Route 7.

• Millions, billions. Example: 6 billion people.

• Percentages: Percent is one word. Example: 1 percent.

• Speed. Example: 8 mph.

• Subscription term lengths. Always use numerals, using a hyphen if the term length precedes a noun in body copy. No hyphen is needed if the term length stands alone. Examples

• Temperatures. Examples:

• Time. Do not include a colon and two zeroes when referring to an even hour. Example: 4 PM.

• Years. Examples:

See additional information in other entries on this page.

Exceptions that always take spelled-out numbers

Always spell out numbers that begin a sentence.

Note: Because 3ds Max is a proper noun, you can use it at the beginning of a sentence. But say 3ds Max software…

Commas in numerals

Use commas in figures of four digits or more. See also Measurements. Examples:

Decimals

Use decimals (up to two places) for amounts in the millions and billions that do not require a precise figure. Example: $3.74 billion.

Ordinals

When using ordinals, spell out numbers first through ninth and use figures for 10th and up. Do not turn the endings -nd, -th, -rd, or -st into superscripts (or allow Word to do so). Examples:

Plural numbers

Add an s but no apostrophe to a number to make it plural. The same rule applies to decades. Use an apostrophe on a decade only if cutting off the initial figures. Examples:

See also Prices and Fractions.

Percent, percent symbol

Use the percent symbol (%) in any reference to percent that’s preceded by a numeral. This rule applies to both body copy and headings. Close up the space between the number and the symbol. Examples:

Spell out percent when it’s used in copy without a numeral. Example: We completed the project on time and half a percent under budget.

Phone numbers

For phone numbers in the United States and Canada, use the format 1-415-555-1212. For extensions, use the form 1-415-555-1212, ext. 33. Use 1 with toll-free numbers, and indicate that the number is toll-free. Example: Call us toll-free at 1-844-335-4986.

We discourage the use of vanity numbers (such as 1-800-CALLNOW) because they’re not supported on mobile devices. If there’s a strong business reason for using a vanity number, use the numerical version of the phone number first, followed by the vanity number in parentheses. Example: Call us toll-free at 1-800-225-5669 (1-800-CALLNOW).

International telephone numbers vary widely in format and length. In some cases, Autodesk addresses and telephone numbers may be left in English; check with your translation partners and project owners. If translating, we recommend using the local formatting convention for a particular country. For more information, see national conventions for writing telephone numbers and review our localization guides.

Prices

Use figures for all amounts.

Nongeotargeted pricing

The first time prices are mentioned in body copy, give them in US dollars (US$) with no space between US and the currency symbol. The US can be omitted in subsequent prices. Use a comma for more than three digits. Omit decimal places for whole numbers (.00) in a price.

For US denominations over four figures, use a comma, as in US$1,000. However, for euro denominations, omit the comma (2000 euros). Examples:

If mentioning foreign currencies in nongeotargeted body text on the global .com website, spell out the currency. Example: 300 Canadian dollars = C$300 or Can$300.

Geotargeted pricing

Geotargeting detects a user’s location and automatically displays location-specific content, such as pricing in the local currency. Geotargeting is implemented on Subscribe pages, Compare pages, and in geotargeted promos. In these cases, there is no need to specify a currency.

Time

(Note: This guidance has been updated as of June 2022.)

Use a 12-hour clock in US English copy; this can be translated and localized as appropriate. For local content, use the generally accepted clock formatting.

When using a 12-hour clock, denote morning or afternoon times as AM or PM, using uppercase letters and no periods. Use noon instead of 12 PM. Include a space after the time: 8:30 AM, 1 PM.

Use a three-character initialism for US time zones (e.g., EST, EDT, MST, PDT, etc.) when used in conjunction with a specific time. For general reference, spell them out and treat them as proper nouns: Eastern Daylight Time, Pacific Standard Time. (Note: This is an exception to Chicago style.) If the specificity of daylight savings or standard time is not required in the context of the copy, you may leave it out.

When referring to international time zones, spell them out and treat them as proper nouns: Nepal Standard Time, Australian Eastern Time. (Note: This is an exception to Chicago style.)

If a time zone does not have a set name, use its Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) offset.

Always use numerals when referring to time. Delete the decimals, :00, unless in a mix.

When giving a time range, use either a hyphen with no space before or after, or use the word pair to and from or between and and. Do not combine the forms. Examples: