Reading Large Numbers
Big numbers can look tricky at first, but they are easy to read when you take them one step at a time.
In maths, we read numbers by using place value. Each digit has a job to do. We read from left to right, saying the biggest place first and working our way to the smallest.
In Australian maths, we do not use the word “and” when reading whole numbers.
The word “and” is only used when there is a decimal point.
For example:
We also use hyphens when reading numbers between 21 and 99, such as twenty-three or sixty-eight.
Remember:
In maths, we read numbers by using place value. Each digit has a job to do. We read from left to right, saying the biggest place first and working our way to the smallest.
In Australian maths, we do not use the word “and” when reading whole numbers.
The word “and” is only used when there is a decimal point.
For example:
- 4,372 → four thousand three hundred seventy-two
- 2.5 → two and five tenths
We also use hyphens when reading numbers between 21 and 99, such as twenty-three or sixty-eight.
Remember:
- Look for commas to guide you read numbers in their place value houses.
How would you read this number?
Two hundred nine million, four hundred thirty thousand, three hundred five.
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