Why Do People Write 1.000 as One Thousand?

When discussing numbers, it can be striking to notice how differently various cultures and regions interpret and write the same number. Specifically, the placement of commas and periods serve as thousands separators and decimal points. For instance, in the U.S., one would write 1000 for a thousand, whereas some European countries might write 1.000 or 1,000. This variety has led to questions like the one raised by Lisa Savignano:

For instance in some European countries they write 1.000.00375 where in the US we would write 1000.00375.

It’s sometimes surprising that we get anything to interoperate.

This blog post aims to address the confusion surrounding the different conventions for writing numbers and the reasons behind these differences.

Cultural Variations in Numerals

The use of either the comma or period for the separator between the integer and fractional parts, as well as the other character being used to separate every power of one thousand, depends on the local standard. For most English-speaking countries, 1000 is indeed one thousand, whereas in most Romance language countries, it is written as 11000.

An illustration from Wikipedia Commons shows how different cultures represent large numbers:

Standard and Local Conventions

In cases where a standard is needed for both, it is common to use short spaces to separate groups of digits instead of either a period or comma. For example, ten thousand can be written as:

10 000 (10,000 in some countries) 10 000.00 10,000.00 (in some countries)

These variations highlight the importance of understanding the local conventions and standards. For instance, when writing a check in the U.S., a figure of 1000 would mean one thousand dollars. However, in other countries, 1000 might denote one.

Decimal Separators and Thousand Separators

It is important to recognize that the choice between using a comma or a period for decimal points and thousand separators is a matter of cultural custom, not a matter of faith. The confusion arises when the same symbols are used for different purposes. For example:

In the U.S., "1000.31" is "one thousand and thirty-one hundredths." In other countries, the same number might be written as 1.00031 to denote the same value.

Most calculators and computer systems use a period as the decimal separator, although users can configure their systems to use a comma.

The Case of Big Numbers

A particularly nuanced issue arises when translating between different countries' usage of terms for large numbers. For example, in the U.S., a billion is 1,000,000,000, whereas in many European countries, a billion is 1,000,000,000,000. Thus, it is crucial to be careful when translating the word 'billion.'

Understanding these conventions can help in effectively communicating and interpreting numbers across different cultures. By recognizing these cultural differences, businesses and organizations can ensure that their global communications are clear and accurate.