Convert a number into words using the Indian numbering system (Lakh, Crore, and beyond).
How to Use the Number to Words Tool
Enter a whole number into the box (commas are ignored).
Click "Convert".
See the number spelled out in words, and click "Copy to Clipboard" to copy it.
How the Conversion Works
The Indian system groups digits differently from the international one. After the first three digits on the right (the hundreds group), every further group has two digits. The tool splits your number into these groups from right to left and names each one:
The last three digits are read as hundreds, tens and ones, for example 789 becomes "Seven Hundred Eighty Nine".
The next two digits are thousands, then two digits of lakhs, two of crores, two of arabs and two of kharabs.
Each two-digit group is spelled out (One to Ninety Nine) and followed by its unit name. Groups that are zero are skipped, so 10,00,005 reads "Ten Lakh Five" with no empty "Thousand".
Indian Place Values and Their International Equivalents
Indian unit
Written (Indian commas)
Zeros
International name
One Thousand
1,000
3
One thousand
One Lakh
1,00,000
5
One hundred thousand
Ten Lakh
10,00,000
6
One million
One Crore
1,00,00,000
7
Ten million
One Arab
1,00,00,00,000
9
One billion
One Kharab
1,00,00,00,00,000
11
One hundred billion
Worked Example
Take 123456789. Written with Indian commas it is 12,34,56,789. Reading the groups from left to right gives 12 crore, 34 lakh, 56 thousand and 789, so the output is "Twelve Crore Thirty Four Lakh Fifty Six Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty Nine". In the international system the same number is one hundred twenty-three million, four hundred fifty-six thousand, seven hundred eighty-nine.
Where Numbers in Words Are Needed
Legal and property documents such as sale deeds and agreements, where figures are often repeated in words to avoid disputes over a misplaced digit.
Forms and reports that ask for quantities, survey areas or population figures in words.
Checking how a large figure in a news report or budget, such as 1,50,00,000, should be read aloud.
The output uses title case and does not insert "and" (105 becomes "One Hundred Five"). Both styles are acceptable in India, so edit the wording if your organisation follows a specific format. For money, the Rupees to Words tool adds "Rupees", paise and "Only" for cheques.
Frequently Asked Questions
It uses the Indian numbering system (Ones, Thousand, Lakh, Crore, Arab, Kharab), which is the standard way numbers are spelled out in India, rather than the international Million/Billion system.
No, this tool converts whole numbers only. For rupee amounts with paise, use the Rupees to Words Calculator instead.
The input box accepts up to 15 digits. Kharab (100 Arab) is the largest unit the tool names, so anything bigger is expressed as a count of Kharab, for example 1,234 Kharab is written as One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Four Kharab.
Ten lakh equal one million, and 100 crore equal one billion. One crore is ten million, so to turn crores into millions multiply by 10.
Yes. All commas are removed before conversion, so 12,34,567 and 1,234,567 give the same result. Spaces, decimal points and minus signs are not accepted.