How to write an amount in words in Indian rupees
Split the number into crore, lakh, thousand and hundred, write each part in words, then add Rupees at the start and Only at the end. So ₹48,60,000 is Rupees Forty-Eight Lakh Sixty Thousand Only. To skip the working, type the number into Amount in words and copy the result.
The method, in three steps
- Put in Indian commas. From the right, the first comma comes after three digits, then after every two: 12,34,56,789. Each group then has a name.
- Name each group. Reading from the left: crore, lakh, thousand, then the last three digits (hundreds).
- Write it out, and wrap it. Write each group in words followed by its name, skip groups that are zero, then add Rupees at the start and Only at the end.
| Group | 12 | 34 | 56 | 789 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Crore | Lakh | Thousand | Hundreds |
| In words | Twelve Crore | Thirty-Four Lakh | Fifty-Six Thousand | Seven Hundred Eighty-Nine |
All together: Rupees Twelve Crore Thirty-Four Lakh Fifty-Six Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Nine Only.
Examples you can copy
| Amount | In words |
|---|---|
| ₹500 | Rupees Five Hundred Only |
| ₹1,001 | Rupees One Thousand One Only |
| ₹1,250 | Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Only |
| ₹15,000 | Rupees Fifteen Thousand Only |
| ₹21,019 | Rupees Twenty-One Thousand Nineteen Only |
| ₹1,00,000 | Rupees One Lakh Only |
| ₹2,50,000 | Rupees Two Lakh Fifty Thousand Only |
| ₹7,05,000 | Rupees Seven Lakh Five Thousand Only |
| ₹10,00,000 | Rupees Ten Lakh Only |
| ₹48,60,000.50 | Rupees Forty-Eight Lakh Sixty Thousand and Fifty Paise Only |
| ₹1,00,00,000 | Rupees One Crore Only |
| ₹12,34,56,789 | Rupees Twelve Crore Thirty-Four Lakh Fifty-Six Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Nine Only |
| ₹99.05 | Rupees Ninety-Nine and Five Paise Only |
Watch the zeros in the middle. ₹7,05,000 has no hundreds and a thousand group of "05", so it is Seven Lakh Five Thousand, not Fifty Thousand.
The fast way: let the tool write it
Open Amount in words and type the number. Commas and paise are fine. The words appear as you type. Pick Title Case or UPPER CASE, then press Copy words and paste them into your bill, receipt or form.
It works up to ₹99,99,99,99,999.99. Always read the words once against the number before you use them.
Lakh and crore in millions and billions
| Indian | Figure | International |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lakh | 1,00,000 | 100 thousand |
| 10 lakh | 10,00,000 | 1 million |
| 1 crore | 1,00,00,000 | 10 million |
| 10 crore | 10,00,00,000 | 100 million |
| 100 crore | 1,00,00,00,000 | 1 billion |
Amounts of 100 crore and more are still said in crore: ₹1,50,00,00,000 is One Hundred Fifty Crore. "Arab" (100 crore) is rarely used in writing.
Mistakes to avoid
- Spelling: it's Forty (not Fourty), Ninety and Nineteen.
- Plurals: write Five Lakh and Two Crore, not Lakhs or Crores.
- Mixing systems: don't write "Four Million Eight Hundred Sixty Thousand" on an Indian document. Use lakh and crore.
- Leaving gaps: on a cheque, start the words right at the left edge, keep them together, and draw a line after "Only" to fill the space.
- Words and figures not matching: check them against each other before you sign. Under Section 18 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, if they differ, the amount in words counts. A bank may also simply return the cheque.
Hyphens and "and": Forty-Eight and Forty Eight are both seen, and so is "One Thousand and Fifty". What matters is that the words are clear and match the figure. Our tool uses hyphens, and uses "and" only before paise.
Questions
How do you write 1,00,000 in words?
Rupees One Lakh Only. One lakh is 1,00,000, which is one hundred thousand.
How do you write 10,00,000 in words?
Rupees Ten Lakh Only. That is the same as one million.
Is it lakh or lakhs?
In an amount written in words, it is usually singular: Five Lakh, Two Crore. You will see lakhs and crores in everyday speech, but singular is the common style on cheques, bills and forms.
How do I write paise in words?
Add “and … Paise” before Only. For example, ₹1,250.75 is Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty and Seventy-Five Paise Only.
Why write “Only” at the end?
It shows the amount ends there, so nobody can add more words after it. The same goes for starting with “Rupees”, right at the left edge.