# How to write out the number 56.12%?



## riglos

Hello everyone!

How would you write the number 56.12 % according to the way it is pronounced? What I'm interested in is the part of the decimals. I've been told that after the "." (point), numbers are written one by one, separately, e.g., 17.38 % = seventeen point three eight percent. But in this case, I don't really know why but "fifty-six point one two" doesn't sound convincing. I thought that maybe up to number 13 or with numbers that are written as one word, they were still said and written that way after the comma. But these are just gut guesses, so I'll appreciate your native speakers' kind help.

Thanks a lot!

Mara.-


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## cyberpedant

You write (or say) fifty-six point twelve percent. It would not be incorrect to say fifty-six point one two percent, but that would be less usual.


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## Chazzwozzer

My Oxford Dictionary suggests that in British English, per cent is written as two words. I think you may need this information if you write in British.


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## Kelly B

_Fifty-six point one two percent _is correct, but I would be equally comfortable _saying fifty-six point twelve percent_. 

*Without *the word _percent, _I would be comfortable pronouncing any two digits after the decimal as if they were counting numbers: 99.99 = _ninety-nine point ninety-nine. 

_However, when it is a percentage, I'm afraid the listener might lose track. It's too many words. So I agree that over _...point twelve percent_, or maybe _...point nineteen percent_, I'd probably switch to saying the digit names for percentages.

With three digits or more after the decimal, I would always say the names of the digits after the decimal: 99.101 = _ninety-nine point one oh one.

_I'm only talking about the way I'd say these, not quoting a rule.


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## .   1

My maths teacher went to great trouble to make sure that we understood that the digits to the right of the decimal point are *ALWAYS* pronounced individually so as to ensure clarity.
What happens if the number is 56.121%?
Would this be written as fifty six point one hundred and twenty one percent?
How would you write out 56.01%?


.,,


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## Snowman75

. said:


> My maths teacher went to great trouble to make sure that we understood that the digits to the right of the decimal point are *ALWAYS* pronounced individually so as to ensure clarity.
> What happens if the number is 56.121%?
> Would this be written as fifty six point one hundred and twenty one percent?
> How would you write out 56.01%?
> 
> 
> .,,


I agree completely. It grates against my ears when I (on rare occasions) hear something like "fifty-six point twelve percent". Arghhh! It even hurts just to look at it. I am aware, though, that there are many native speakers who will use this pronunciation.

A strong argument for the "one two" pronunciation is that the pronunciation is consistent, regardless of how many decimal places you choose to recite.

So for the number 56.12934

If you choose to recite to just one decimal point, it's "fifty-six point one", to two decimal places, "fifty-six point one two", and then "fifty-six point one two nine". Or you can simply start reciting at the beginning and stop whenever you want.

Otherwise you have all these wildly different pronunciations which all represent the same actual number:

fifty-six point one
fifty-six point twelve
fifty-six point one hundred and twenty nine


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## panjandrum

I guess that all of us who studied math(s) or any seriously numerate discipline would expect fifty six point one two ... and so on.

The alien example, fifty six point twelve, comes naturally to those whose maths extends no further than occasionally checking their change.


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## riglos

Thank you all! 

Finally, I opted for the "fifty-six point one two" choice, which is (I think, after your answers and some research I did) the correct one. The fact is that this number was to be included in a business English course final exam for the students to write it out. I think this further justifies the "point one two" choice.

Thanks again! You were all of great help!

Mara.-


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## johnnymax

Actually, not to be a fly in the ointment, but I believe the correct way to write out 56.12% is "fifty six and twelve one hundreths percent."  Isn't it?


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## Rover_KE

johnnymax said:


> Actually, not to be a fly in the ointment, but I believe the correct way to write out 56.12% is "fifty six and twelve one hundreths percent." Isn't it?


 
Good heavens! What on earth makes you think that?

(Welcome to the board.)

Rover


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## johnnymax

Thank you Rover.  I recall my elementary school math teachers drumming into our heads the proper way to express decimals, which are actually fractions.  ".12" isn't properly written or spoken as "point one two."  "Point one two" is the same as the fraction "12/100," thus it is traditinoally expressed as "twelve one hundredths," and not with any reference to a point.  I seem to recall a similar lesson in a college journalism class.  I am not a professional writer or journalist, but I believe that decimals are to be articulated as the fractions they represent.


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## Myridon

I was taught the same as johnnymax. All this "point one two" business is "convenient math class slang" not "proper English".


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## Forero

johnnymax said:


> Actually, not to be a fly in the ointment, but I believe the correct way to write out 56.12% is "fifty six and twelve one hundreths percent."  Isn't it?


I would definitely hesitate to use that method on something like this:

_Is pi closer to 3.14159 or 3.1416?
_
Would you really say "three and fourteen thousand one hundred fifty-nine one hundred thousandths" and "three and one thousand four hundred sixteen ten thousandths"?

In nondecimal systems, like the base sixteen system we use on mainframe computers, I always read each digit separately:

_B6.42_ = "Bee six point four two". (That's 182.2578125 in decimal, by the way.)


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## johnnymax

That is illustrative, but I think that is conversational, not formal writing.  Correct?


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## Myridon

It depends on whether you ask your math teacher or your English teacher.
When you write a check, do you write out 56.12 as:
Fifty-six and 12/100  (the way I was taught)
or 
Fifty-six point one-two
or
something else?


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## Forero

I still put "Fifty-six dollars and twelve cents", and cross out the extra "dollars", but I think banks now read only the $56.12 and ignore the "Fifty-six and ..." part, or, worse yet, allow an electronic transfer without my authorization. I do wonder whether the law has changed.


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## Andygc

Johnnymax, Myridon

I don't know which variety of English johnnymax uses, but I know Myridon speaks American. I was, of course, taught in BE, and we never spoke decimals as fractions. Of course we were taught that .01 is one hundredth, but if a number was expressed as a decimal fraction it was always spoken as, for example, _(0.215) nought point two one five_. It would *only *be spoken as _215 thousandths_ if it was written as a vulgar fraction.

Is this, perhaps, a national or even regional difference?


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## Loob

I don't know - but for me:

The number _56.12_ is read fifty-six point one-two.

The amount _£56.12_ is read fifty-six pounds and twelve pence. On a cheque, I write "fifty-six pounds and 12p".


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## JulianStuart

I can tell you from my (learning maths in the UK and then moving to the US) experience that the "fractions" concept is only to be found in the US, although the "three point one four one five nine" format_ is_ also found here.


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## panjandrum

fifty-six point one two...
fifty-six and twelve hundredths...

Both are correct in the relevant parts of the world.

I refer you to the accumulated WordReference wisdom on this topic in:
>>  Topic summary: Numbers - speaking, saying, writing in full [number say  speak read write]

From the second post of that thread:_In AE, numbers with up to three digits to the right of the point may  sometimes be read as decimal fractions.  
_​This doesn't happen in BE.

And in case you miss the link in the topic summary, there is a lot more on this topic from post #9 onwards in:
Reading, speaking, writing, saying, numbers - $1234.01,  200.134


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## natkretep

Loob said:


> I don't know - but for me:
> 
> The number _56.12_ is read fifty-six point one-two.
> 
> The amount _£56.12_ is read fifty-six pounds and twelve pence. On a cheque, I write "fifty-six pounds and 12p".


 
Yes, I do that too, although I might sometimes spell out 'twelve pence' in a cheque. I think anyone taught maths in BE style (as I have)would have been told that numbers after decimal points have to be read out one by one.

The reason I don't do it for money is that I don't consider the dot a real decimal point, in that it's not possible (normally) to add more than 2 digits,* and in the days of the ha'penny, you could even add a fraction, as in £56.12½; and in cheques, the dot could be replaced with a long dash £56—12 to prevent alteration by others. It's also possible to write the pence amount as a superscript, as in £5612. (I can't do it properly here. The '12' should be raised somewhat.) I've also seen £56:12, £56-12.

I think the American convention is different, where I would often see the cents expressed as a fraction in a cheque (check): $56  12/100.

*EDIT: OK, exchange rates are given to 4 decimal points - but that is not what we're talking about.

Nat


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## JuanEscritor

johnnymax said:


> I am not a professional writer or journalist, but I believe that decimals are to be articulated as the fractions they represent.



Fully agreed.  _Fifty-six and twelve (one) hundredths of a percent_ seems like the way I would choose to do this were I forced to write out _56.12%_.

As has been pointed out, though, this appears to be a dialect-specific construction.

JE


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## Joseph A

Kelly B said:


> _Fifty-six point one two percent _is correct, but I would be equally comfortable _saying fifty-six point twelve percent_.
> 
> *Without *the word _percent, _I would be comfortable pronouncing any two digits after the decimal as if they were counting numbers: 99.99 = _ninety-nine point ninety-nine.
> _
> However, when it is a percentage, I'm afraid the listener might lose track. It's too many words. So I agree that over _...point twelve percent_, or maybe _...point nineteen percent_, I'd probably switch to saying the digit names for percentages.
> 
> With three digits or more after the decimal, I would always say the names of the digits after the decimal: 99.101 = _ninety-nine point one oh one.
> _
> I'm only talking about the way I'd say these, not quoting a rule.


Hello Kelly,
Sorry, I didn't want to start a new thread to a question similar to this. Therefore, I would like to ask you if the pronunciation of the percentage "*33.33 percent" is *correct as follow?
1. Thirty-three point thirty three percent.
2. Thirty-three point thirty-three percent.
3. Thirty-three point three-three percent.
4. Thirty three point three three percent.
I hope you answer me. Or any of the British and American native speakers help me if these "4" ways above to pronounce that percentage are correct.
Regards,
JA


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## entangledbank

1 and 2 are the _same_ pronunciation; they only differ in writing. Likewise 3 and 4 are the same. I, like apparently all BrE speakers, would only use 3=4, with each number after the decimal point pronounced separately: three three.


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## heypresto

1. Thirty-three point thirty three percent. 
2. Thirty-three point thirty-three percent. 
3. Thirty-three point three-three percent.  This is pronounced the same as #4, but we wouldn't spell 'three three' with a hyphen.
4. Thirty three point three three percent.  This is how we'd say it and write it.

Cross-posted.


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## Joseph A

entangledbank said:


> 1 and 2 are the _same_ pronunciation; they only differ in writing. Likewise 3 and 4 are the same. I, like apparently all BrE speakers, would only use 3=4, with each number after the decimal point pronounced separately: three three.


Thank you so much.


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## Uncle Jack

For what it's worth, I would happily say 'thirty-three and a third percent' if .33 was used as an approximation for 1/3 (in other words, if 33.33% was really 100 *÷ *3 1 *÷ *3 ).

Like (almost) all BrE speakers, I would never say 'thirty-three point thirty-three percent', and would have no qualms correcting anyone who said it like that. To me it is wrong, without question.


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## Joseph A

heypresto said:


> 1. Thirty-three point thirty three percent.
> 2. Thirty-three point thirty-three percent.
> 3. Thirty-three point three-three percent.  This is pronounced the same as #4, but we wouldn't spell 'three three' with a hyphen.
> 4. Thirty three point three three percent.  This is how we'd say it and write it.
> 
> Cross-posted.





heypresto said:


> 1. Thirty-three point thirty three percent.
> 2. Thirty-three point thirty-three percent.
> 3. Thirty-three point three-three percent.  This is pronounced the same as #4, but we wouldn't spell 'three three' with a hyphen.
> 4. Thirty three point three three percent.  This is how we'd say it and write it.
> 
> Cross-posted.


Thank a lot.


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## Joseph A

Uncle Jack said:


> For what it's worth, I would happily say 'thirty-three and a third percent' if .33 was used as an approximation for 1/3 (in other words, if 33.33% was really 100 *÷ *3).
> 
> Like (almost) all BrE speakers, I would never say 'thirty-three point thirty-three percent', and would have no qualms correcting anyone who said it like that. To me it is wrong, without question.


Thank a lot.


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## heypresto

Uncle Jack said:


> For what it's worth, I would happily say 'thirty-three and a third percent' if .33 was used as an approximation for 1/3 (in other words, if 33.33% was really 100 *÷ *3).



Me too. It's the most natural way to say it. I don't know why I didn't think of this when I posted.


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## Joseph A

heypresto said:


> 1. Thirty-three point thirty three percent.
> 2. Thirty-three point thirty-three percent.
> 3. Thirty-three point three-three percent.  This is pronounced the same as #4, but we wouldn't spell 'three three' with a hyphen.
> 4. Thirty three point three three percent.  This is how we'd say it and write it.
> 
> Cross-posted.


Sorry heypresto,
But if you check the loob's answer in #18, you will see that she has used a hyphen between the digits after the decimal point. She wrote as "fifty-six point one-two", but you said without without a hyphen. Could you tell me why?
Regards,
JA


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## heypresto

Because that's how I'd write it, if I really had to. Maybe it's just me, but it seems odd to me to spell it with a hyphen.

It probably isn't that important since it's very unlikely you'll ever need to write out a percentage like this in words.


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## Joseph A

heypresto said:


> Because that's how I'd write it, if I really had to. Maybe it's just me, but it seems odd to me to spell it with a hyphen.
> 
> It probably isn't that important since it's very unlikely you'll ever need to write out a percentage like this in words.


Thanks a lot.
You shouldn't have considered my last choice #3 incorrect with a hyphen because I taught my students to write out the digits either with or without a hyphen. I was really afraid because I don't want to misteach my students. A day I saw the loob's option to write out a percentage. On the following day I went to school and told my students that a "hyphen" is also possible. I don't know what I should do.
Regards,
JA


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## heypresto

You asked about the _pronunciation_ of the percentage. I pointed out that #3 and #4 were _pronounced _the same. 

I still think it's odd to spell it the 'point three three' bit with a hyphen. And I still think it is very unlikely that anyone would ever spell the whole percentage out like this in words.

But I suppose I should have said, 'in my opinion' just to make it clear.


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## Keith Bradford

I was always taught that fractions and decimals were two different ways of saying the same thing.  In other words _fifty-six and twelve hundredths _*OR*_ fifty-six point one two. 
_
Likewise you write them_ 56 12/100 _*OR*_ 56.12._ 

You can use one or the other, but *not mix them*.  Bad boy, black mark!


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## RM1(SS)

Joseph's #4 is the only way I would write/say it.  Written out on a cheque (and only on a cheque) it would be "Thirty-three and 33/100."


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## Joseph A

heypresto said:


> You asked about the _pronunciation_ of the percentage. I pointed out that #3 and #4 were _pronounced _the same.
> 
> I still think it's odd to spell it the 'point three three' bit with a hyphen. And I still think it is very unlikely that anyone would ever spell the whole percentage out like this in words.
> 
> But I suppose I should have said, 'in my opinion' just to make it clear.


Thank you so much.


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## Joseph A

Keith Bradford said:


> I was always taught that fractions and decimals were two different ways of saying the same thing.  In other words _fifty-six and twelve hundredths _*OR*_ fifty-six point one two.
> _
> Likewise you write them_ 56 12/100 _*OR*_ 56.12._
> 
> You can use one or the other, but *not mix them*.  Bad boy, black mark!


Thank a lot.


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## Joseph A

RM1(SS) said:


> Joseph's #4 is the only way I would write/say it.  Written out on a cheque (and only on a cheque) it would be "Thirty-three and 33/100."


Thank you so much.


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## Loob

Joseph A said:


> But if you check the loob's answer in #18, you will see that she has used a hyphen between the digits after the decimal point. She wrote as "fifty-six point one-two"...


Re-reading that post today after a space of eight years, I thought "I wonder why I put that hyphen in".


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## heypresto

What a difference eight years can make.


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## Joseph A

Loob said:


> Re-reading that post today after a space of eight years, I thought "I wonder why I put that hyphen in".


Loob, for God's sake don't say I was wrong eight years ago, please. If it is wrong, I am wrong too.
Regards,
JA


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## Loob

The thread is about how to represent, in written words, the way we pronounce figures like 56.12%. Putting myself back eight years, I probably wrote "one-two" for the numbers after the decimal point because that felt like a closer approximation of the way I'd pronounce them than "one two".

In practice, the number of occasions on which anyone would actually need to write out in words the numbers after the decimal point is surely vanishingly small. I can't imagine having to do so anywhere other than WordReference.


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## Joseph A

Loob said:


> The thread is about how to represent, in written words, the way we pronounce figures like 56.12%. Putting myself back eight years, I probably wrote "one-two" for the numbers after the decimal point because that felt like a closer approximation of the way I'd pronounce them than "one two".
> 
> In practice, the number of occasions on which anyone would actually need to write out in words the numbers after the decimal point is surely vanishingly small. I can't imagine having to do so anywhere other than WordReference.


Yhanks a lot.
I don't know how to tell my students that I was wrong. I usually try to get things and information from different sources and from American and British native speakers. I think you were too young and not very knowledgealbe eight years ago,that is why you made that mistake, but now you're one of the active members in this Forum to help the foreign learners. Thanks for your explanation.
Regards,
JA


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## Joseph A

heypresto said:


> What a difference eight years can make.


heypresto, I troubled you. Thanks a lot.


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## heypresto

Honestly, I really don't think it matters that you told your students that you could or should include a hyphen. As we've said, they won't ever need to write out a percentage like this in words.


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## Packard

Keith Bradford said:


> I was always taught that fractions and decimals were two different ways of saying the same thing.  In other words _fifty-six and twelve hundredths _*OR*_ fifty-six point one two.
> _
> Likewise you write them_ 56 12/100 _*OR*_ 56.12._
> 
> You can use one or the other, but *not mix them*.  Bad boy, black mark!



If I were speaking it, I would say, "Fifty-six and twelve hundredths".

In our machine shop we routinely refer to "tenths of a thousandth" but usually it is phrase as just "tenths".

It measured "one eighty-seven and five tenths".  (0.1875 --and the "thousandths" and the  "inches" are understood).


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## Uncle Jack

Packard said:


> It measured "one eighty-seven and five tenths". (0.1875 --and the "thousandths" and the "inches" are understood).


I, too, would treat thousandths of an inch as a unit, not that I have to work in thous these days. We're a bit luckier over here; millimetres and microns seem so much more the right size units to deal in, but I suppose everyone gets used to what they use.


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## Joseph A

heypresto said:


> Honestly, I really don't think it matters that you told your students that you could or should include a hyphen. As we've said, they won't ever need to write out a percentage like this in words.


Thanks for your information and advice.
JA


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## Joseph A

Keith Bradford said:


> I was always taught that fractions and decimals were two different ways of saying the same thing.  In other words _fifty-six and twelve hundredths _*OR*_ fifty-six point one two.
> _
> Likewise you write them_ 56 12/100 _*OR*_ 56.12._
> 
> You can use one or the other, but *not mix them*.  Bad boy, black mark!


Sorry Keith Bradford,
Can we add the word *percentage *after saying the numbers?as in #2:
1. fifty-six point one two percent
2. fifty-six point twelve hundredths *percent.*
Regards,
JA


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## Jimbob_Disco

Joseph A said:


> Can we add the word *percentage *after saying the number?as in #2:
> 1. fifty-six point one two percent
> 2. fifty-six point twelve hundredths *percent.*


No, you can’t replace ‘percent’ with ‘percentages’.  Also, I would never say ‘ fifty-six point twelve hundredths percent’ - I don’t like using fractions with percentages.  However, if I were to deign to do that, I’d say ‘fifty-six *and *twelve hundredths *of a *percent’.


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## Joseph A

Jimbob_Disco said:


> No, you can’t replace ‘percent’ with ‘percentages’.  Also, I would never say ‘ fifty-six point twelve hundredths percent’ - I don’t like using fractions with percentages.  However, if I were to deign to do that, I’d say ‘fifty-six *and *twelve hundredths *of a *percent’.


Thanks a lot Jimbob_Disco.


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## Uncle Jack

Joseph A said:


> Sorry Keith Bradford,
> Can we add the word *percentage *after saying the numbers?as in #2:
> 1. fifty-six point one two percent
> 2. fifty-six point twelve hundredths *percent.*
> Regards,
> JA


Your #2 is mistaken. It is never fifty-six *point *twelve hundredths, but fifty-six *and *twelve hundredths (the 'and' is required in British English, but perhaps it can be omitted in American English; either way 'point' is wrong).

Strictly speaking, you can say fifty-six and twelve hundredths percent. But you wouldn't. In my post #27, I said I would say thirty-three and a third percent, but this is something of an exceptional case; almost always with percentages you use decimals; the only times you would say (or write) it as vulgar fraction are

when it is more precise (the denominator is a prime number)
it is easier to say (you might possibly hear 'and seven-eighths' instead of 'point eight seven five')
it is a very simple fraction (half, a quarter, three-quarters)


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## Jimbob_Disco

Uncle Jack said:


> I would say thirty-three and a third percent


Interestingly, I’d say ‘thirty-three and a third *of a *per cent’.


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## Jimbob_Disco

Also, in BE it’s correct to write ‘per cent’ (two words), whereas in AE it’s correct to write ‘percent’ (one word).


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## Uncle Jack

Jimbob_Disco said:


> Interestingly, I’d say ‘thirty-three and a third *of a *per cent’.


Fair enough, but how did you say the old VAT rate?


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## Jimbob_Disco

_Seventeen point five per cent._  As I said in #51, I tend to avoid using fractions with percentages.


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## Joseph A

Uncle Jack said:


> Your #2 is mistaken. It is never fifty-six *point *twelve hundredths, but fifty-six *and *twelve hundredths (the 'and' is required in British English, but perhaps it can be omitted in American English; either way 'point' is wrong).
> 
> Strictly speaking, you can say fifty-six and twelve hundredths percent. But you wouldn't. In my post #27, I said I would say thirty-three and a third percent, but this is something of an exceptional case; almost always with percentages you use decimals; the only times you would say (or write) it as vulgar fraction are
> 
> when it is more precise (the denominator is a prime number)
> it is easier to say (you might possibly hear 'and seven-eighths' instead of 'point eight seven five')
> it is a very simple fraction (half, a quarter, three-quarters)


Thanks a lot Uncle Jack.


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## Forero

Uncle Jack said:


> Your #2 is mistaken. It is never fifty-six *point *twelve hundredths, but fifty-six *and *twelve hundredths (the 'and' is required in British English, but perhaps it can be omitted in American English; either way 'point' is wrong).


The "and" is required in American English as well.

And "point twelve hundredths" would have to mean something smaller than twelve hundredths. Since I don't know what exactly, I would call that wording useless for a decimal number.


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## RM1(SS)

Forero said:


> And "point twelve hundredths" would have to mean something smaller than twelve hundredths.


One hundredth is .01, so "point twelve" of it would be .0012.


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