Numbers in words: ten thousands, hundred thousands and billions
Build and read big numbers: five-digit numbers, a hundred thousand, and numbers past the million.
- UK: Year 5
- France: grade 4
- Germany: grade 3
- Iran: grade 4
- Afghanistan: grade 3
- Palestine: grade 3
Guide
Big numbers are read in groups of three digits. The ones group, the thousands group and the million group, then the billion group.
In 23 506 the 2 is 2 ten thousands and the 3 is 3 thousands. We say: twenty-three thousand, five hundred and six.
If a place has nothing, we write 0 so that every digit stays in its own place. 23 506 has 0 tens.
Ten ten-thousands make one hundred thousand: 100 000. A thousand millions make a billion.