How to write and describe whole numbers – KS3 Maths

Key points

Numbers can be written as or as words, eg 60 or sixty.
Understanding allows you to numbers in different ways. This helps to deal with larger values more efficiently.
Place value can be used to compare and order values.

Whole numbers are a set of numbers including all positive integers and 0. Whole numbers do not include fractions, decimals or negative numbers.

When considering a larger number, using place value labels can often help. labels can be written as words or using digits. When using words, units are often referred to as ones. Eg, 34 has 3 tens and 4 units, or we could say 34 has 3 tens and 4 ones.
When describing numbers, them according to their place value. Partitioning numbers makes them easier to calculate with.
Some digits are 'joined' in their description. For example, the number 65 is not described as 'six tens and five units'. Instead, it is described by the more common name of 'sixty-five'.

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Using place value, partition 65 into six tens and five units. This is written as sixty-five.
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565 can be partitioned into five lots of 100, six lots of 10 and five units. 565 is written as five hundred and sixty-five.
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1,565 can be partitioned into one lot of 1,000, five lots of 100, six lots of 10 and five units. 1,565 is written as one thousand, five hundred and sixty-five.
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21,565 can be partitioned into two lots of 10,000, one lot of 1,000, five lots of 100, six lots of 10 and five units. 21,565 is written as twenty-one thousand, five hundred and sixty-five.
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321,565 can be partitioned into three lots of 100,000, two lots of 10,000, one lot of 1,000, five lots of 100, six lots of 10 and five units. 321,565 is written as three hundred and twenty-one thousand, five hundred and sixty-five.
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The number 5,321,565 can be written in words as five million, three hundred and twenty-one thousand, five hundred and sixty-five.

can be used to compare two or more numbers.
Using place value can help to identify the largest number.
The place value of a increases by ten times each step to the left and decreases by ten times each step to the right.

To compare numbers:

Start with the place value. Compare the digits in the greatest place value position.
If these digits are the same, continue to the next smaller place until the digits are different.

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Which number is greater?
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Write the first number 4,567 using place value labels.
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Write the second number 4,573 underneath using the same place value labels.
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Compare the digits in the thousands place. The digit (4) is the same in each number.
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Compare the digits in the hundreds place. The digit (5) is the same in each number.
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Compare the digits in the tens place. The digits are different. 7 tens is greater than 6 tens.
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The number 4,573 is greater than 4,567

Try this quiz to practise writing and describing whole numbers.

Place value for whole numbers is used regularly in daily life. Sometimes numbers appear using digits or figures, but they can also appear as words.

Numbers can appear as instructions in recipes, on a scale when measuring quantities or as a price in shops or online.
Being able to compare numbers when shopping is important to make sure you are getting a good deal. For example, comparing prices when buying a car could save money.

It is also used by different types of business such as car manufacturers and shops.

A car manufacturer may want to compare different car models to see which one makes the biggest profit.
A shop owner may want to order products in terms of how well they sell. This is because how well they sell can affect where they position each item within their shop.