1 or one?

[bilance]

Given a choice as readers, which do you prefer to see. A number spelt out or just written as it is. Perhaps used interchangeably. How would you write it as a writer?

[pelwrath]

I have no preference but I'd say be consistent. I think the official rule is to spell it out.

[ScienceGirl]

There are actually some pretty consistent grammar rules for this. As always, some choose to not follow rules LOL but here they are:

Numbers between one and ten are spelled out. Larger numbers are given as numerals. So five dollars and $25 is most appropriate.

UNLESS the number starts a sentence, and then you always spell it out. Fifteen people attended. instead of 15 people attended.

If you have two numbers that come in a row in a sentence, spell one of them out, even if both are greater than ten. This rule applies to hundred and thousand, too. You'd say four hundred or ten thousand, but 12,000 generally. I usually write out twelve thousand, too, in fiction because seeing the numbers is a pause and we don't want readers to pause.

Spell out decades or centuries, but if you give the exact year, give the numeral. The roaring twenties vs. 1920.

Percents and decimals are generally written as numerals for clarity (and wordiness because two point seven five is just long and annoying to read)

Hyphenate your compound numbers. Twenty-one, forty-six, etc.

Use words in place of symbols when you can. So you'd say four degrees Celsius or 15 degrees Celsius. Or hashtag blessed instead of #blessed (although I think with the modern use of hashtags readers wouldn't mind #blessed as much these days).

For time:
Always use periods for a.m. and p.m.
Do not use dashes. Say eight a.m. to six p.m. or 11 am to 12 pm and not 11 am - 12 pm
Say o'clock or a.m./p.m. but not both. This also means do not say 8:00 a.m. in the morning (redundant) because 8:00 technically is the same as eight o'clock
Say noon or midnight instead of 12:00 a.m. or p.m.

For dates: when you give a range, use an "n" dash. You'd say, for example July 18 - 22. And especially do this if you give days of the week with it, but no dash for the days themselves. Ex: Monday through Thursday, July 18 - 22

[Alatariel]

Good rules! I generally write out numbers except if someone is looking at a clock and noting the time. Then I write 12:35 instead of twelve thirty-five.

[RAVENEYE]

*shudder* *cringe*

I'll just say "Chicago Manual of Style" and "MLA" and "APA." Unless one is journaling for one's private use or scratching out a rough draft, this isn't a matter of preference. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to standardize number formats for different types of writing (see above style manuals).

Numbers spelled out, especially at beginnings of sentences. And mid-sentence too, unless it's a date, or a time, or huge number.

Sci is so gracious to go into more detail there.