How to Write Fractions in Words

To write fractions in words, simply write the exact words that you would say if you were reading the fraction aloud. Usually this is a pretty simple thing to do, but it can get a bit tricky and cumbersome with some fractions. As with most things, the more you do it, the easier it gets. And if you've never been completely comfortable working with fractions, writing fractions in words can actually help deepen your understanding of fractional concepts.

Instructions

1. Look at a fraction with the number 2 as the denominator. Remember, the denominator is the bottom number of the fraction. The fraction 1/2 written in words is "one-half," the fraction 3/2 is "three-halves" and the fraction 17/2 is "seventeen-halves."

2. Look at a fraction whose denominator is the number 3. For example, 1/3 written in words is "one-third," 2/3 is "two-thirds" and 10/3 is "ten-thirds."

3. Continue the pattern and look at fractions whose denominator is the number 4. The fraction 1/4 written in words is "one-fourth," 3/4 is "three-fourths" and 16/4 is "sixteen-fourths."

4. Look at some fractions with larger denominators. For example, the fraction 2/15 written in words is "two-fifteenths," 4/21 is "four twenty-firsts" and 3/20 is "three-twentieths." Still a bit more cumbersome is a fraction such as 2/41, which "two forty-firsts" written in words.

5. Try some fractions with much larger denominators. The fraction 2/578 written in words is "two five hundred seventy-eighths," and 235/3,406 is "two hundred thirty-five three thousand four hundred-sixths." As you can see, the larger the numerator and denominator, the more awkward and cumbersome the writing in words becomes.

6. Look at one other type of fraction. A mixed numeral, sometimes called a mixed fraction, consists of a whole number and a fraction. One example of a mixed numeral is 5 1/4. The whole number is the 5, and the fraction is the 1/4. Written in words, 5 1/4 is "five and one-fourth." Again, the trick is to write exactly the words you would say if you were to read the number aloud.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish