Guide
How to write amounts in words for a cheque
How to write a cheque amount in words in India, the US and the UK, with lakh and crore, paise and cents, the Only ending, and what happens when words and figures differ.
On an Indian cheque, write the amount in words next to the printed word "Rupees", end it with "Only", and draw a line through the space that is left: Forty-Four Lakh Eighteen Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety-Six Only. On a US check, write the dollars in words, then "and", then the cents as a fraction: One thousand two hundred fifty-four and 30/100. On a UK cheque, write pounds and pence in words and figures and rule a line through any gap. In all three places, if the words and the figures differ, the law says the words win. The bank can still send the cheque back, so make them match.
Why a cheque has the amount twice
The figures are quick to read and easy to change. A 1 becomes a 7, and a 10,000 gains a digit. Words take longer to alter and are harder to extend without it showing. That is why bank guides tell you to start at the far left and draw a line through the unused space after the words: HDFC Bank calls the line a security measure, NatWest says to leave no gaps, and Capital One says the line helps fill the field so the amount is harder to change.
The rule most guides skip: the words win, and the cheque can still bounce
The law in all three places agrees on which amount counts when the two differ.
- India. Section 18 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 says that if the amount is stated differently in figures and in words, the amount stated in words is the amount to be paid.
- UK. Section 9(2) of the Bills of Exchange Act 1882 says the sum denoted by the words is the amount payable, and section 73 defines a cheque as a bill of exchange drawn on a banker and payable on demand.
- US. UCC 3-114 says words prevail over numerals, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tells consumers that when the two differ, the amount spelled out in words is used.
That is the law. The clearing system is stricter than the law. The return reasons Indian banks publish include code 34, "Cheque irregularly drawn / amount in words and figures differs". A mismatch is therefore a named reason for a bank to send a cheque back, and a cheque that is sent back is not a payment. Some pages that explain this topic say banks simply pay the words. I found no bank or RBI text that says so, and I did find the return code.
Alterations make it worse. RBI's circular of 22 February 2010 on cheque security features says no changes or corrections should be carried out on cheques, other than for date validation. A circular of 22 June 2010 limits the rule to cheques cleared under the image-based Cheque Truncation System and sets 1 December 2010 as the start. The return list has code 85 for "Alterations on instrument, other than Date field". If you spot an error in the words, write a new cheque.
A real case shows how small the slip can be. In Shree Tyres v. State (Delhi Sessions Court, Patiala House, decided 24 July 2020, as reported by SCC Online), the figures were 44,18,896 and the words read "forty four lacs eighteen lacs eight hundred and ninety six only". The court held that the amount in words was not a certain sum, so the instrument was not a valid cheque for the purpose of the dishonour offence under section 138. The writer meant "thousand" and wrote "lacs" twice. A correct reading is forty-four lakh eighteen thousand eight hundred ninety-six, with each name used once. This is not legal advice. If a cheque has bounced, speak to your bank or a lawyer.
Writing it in India
- Start at the printed "Rupees". HDFC Bank's guide says to write the amount in words next to the printed word, add "only" after it, and draw a straight line through the rest of the space. Axis Bank's guide gives the form "Rupees Five Thousand Only".
- Use lakh and crore, not million. 10,00,000 is "Ten Lakh". "One Million" on an Indian rupee cheque is the wrong name for the same number.
- Read the Indian commas from the right. The first comma comes after three digits, and the rest follow every two. The last three digits are read as they are, then thousand, lakh, crore, arab.
- Hyphenate 21 to 99. "Thirty-five", not "thirty five". The bank guides I read do not specify this, and standard English does it.
- Write the figures with a closing mark. HDFC's guide shows 3,500/- and says the slash and hyphen leave no room for anyone to add a digit.
Worked by hand, for rupees with no paise:
| Figures | Words |
|---|---|
| 35,000/- | Thirty-Five Thousand Only |
| 2,50,000/- | Two Lakh Fifty Thousand Only |
| 44,18,896/- | Forty-Four Lakh Eighteen Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety-Six Only |
| 1,00,00,000/- | One Crore Only |
Paise
When the amount has paise, put "and" before them and end with "Paise Only". For 1,250.75 that is "Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty and Seventy-Five Paise Only". For 2,50,000.50 it is "Rupees Two Lakh Fifty Thousand and Fifty Paise Only". The two bank guides I read cover whole rupees only, so this form comes from cheque guides and converter pages, and it is the common one, not a rule I could trace to a bank. Check with your bank if the amount is large.
Using the tool above for the spelling
The tool spells the number in western words and does not say lakh, crore or paise. Use it to check your reading, then convert. Type 4418896 and it prints "four million four hundred eighteen thousand eight hundred ninety six". Four million is forty lakh, and four hundred eighteen thousand is four lakh eighteen thousand. Together that is forty-four lakh eighteen thousand. Add "eight hundred ninety-six" and you have the words in the table above. The same tool prints "ten million" for 10000000, which you convert to "One Crore". Commas in what you type are ignored, so you can paste 44,18,896 as it appears on the cheque.
Writing it on a US check
The cheque is called a check in the US, and the cents go in as a fraction.
- Write the dollars in words, starting at the far left.
- Add "and", then the cents over 100: and 30/100. Capital One's guide uses "Forty-four and 99/100" and shows 00/100 for whole dollars.
- Draw a line through the rest of the space, up to the printed word "Dollars".
- In the number box, write the amount with a decimal point and two digits, such as 1,254.30.
For $1,254.30, type 1254 into the tool. It prints "one thousand two hundred fifty four". Add the hyphen and the fraction, and you have One thousand two hundred fifty-four and 30/100. For five cents the fraction is 05/100, two digits over 100, which is how I read the fraction rule. The words win over the numerals under UCC 3-114, and the CFPB gives the same answer for a mismatch.
Writing it on a UK cheque
Write the pounds and pence in words and again in figures. British usage puts "and" after hundred ("one hundred and twenty-five"), where American usage usually drops it, and a bare hundred is written "one hundred", not "a hundred". NatWest's guide says to write from the very far left, draw a line through unused areas, never leave a space after the pound sign, and rule a line through any unused space after the figures. A cheque for £150.75 reads One hundred and fifty pounds and seventy-five pence. The NatWest page I read does not set a wording for the words line, so follow your bank's own guide if it has one.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Writing "lacs" where you mean thousand | A repeated group made the amount uncertain in the 2020 Delhi case | Read the Indian commas once, left to right, and use each name once |
| "One million" for 10,00,000 | Wrong name for an Indian rupee amount | "Ten Lakh" |
| Words and figures differ | The words win in law, and return code 34 exists | Compare them group by group before you sign |
| Space left after "Only" | Room to add words | Draw a line to the end of the field |
| Overwriting or white-out | RBI says no changes other than the date on CTS cheques | Write a new cheque |
| "A hundred" | The amount should start with a number word | "One hundred" |
| Dropping the hyphen in 21 to 99 | Standard English hyphenates them | "Forty-four" |
Sources
Checked on 24 October 2026:
- Negotiable Instruments Act 1881, section 18, as reproduced by KnowYourGST. The India Code page would not load, so confirm the text there.
- Bills of Exchange Act 1882, section 9 and section 73, legislation.gov.uk.
- UCC 3-114, Contradictory terms of instrument, Cornell Legal Information Institute.
- CFPB: a check where the words and the numbers differ.
- SBI reasons for return, codes 17, 34 and 85.
- RBI circular DPSS.CO.CHD.No. 2806 of 22 June 2010. The February 2010 circular text was read as reproduced by TaxGuru, because the RBI copy did not load.
- HDFC Bank, how to fill a cheque and Axis Bank, how to fill a cheque.
- Capital One, how to write a check and NatWest, cheque payments.
- Shree Tyres v. State, reported by SCC Online.
- English numerals, Wikipedia, for hyphens, "and" and "one hundred".
Banks set their own rules for how they treat a cheque. Check with your bank before you rely on any wording here.