Names of large numbers
Naming very large numbers is relatively easy. There are two main ways of naming a number: scientific notation and naming by grouping. For example, the number 500,000,000,000,000,000,000 can be called 5 × 1020 in scientific notation since there are 20 zeros behind the 5. If the number is named by grouping, it is five hundred quintillion (American) or 500 trillion (European).
When large numbers have many different decimals in them, such as 642 500 000 000, naming them with scientific notation is about the same, but with one difference. Still counting the number of numbers after the first number (in this case, after the 6 there are 11 numbers) you need to include the ones that are not zero in the formula, but after a decimal point. So 642 500 000 000 will be 6.425 × 1011. When naming by grouping, each group is the name of the group. With the same number, it would be said to be 642 billion, 500 million (US) or 642 milliard, 500 million (Eur).
Some examples[change | change source]
| Number | Scientific notation | Grouping |
|---|---|---|
| 6e+26 | 6 × 1026 | 600 septillion (quadrillion) |
| 765 476 250 000 000 | 7.6547625 × 1014 | 765 trillion, 476 billion, 250 million |
| 145 000 | 1.45 × 105 | 145 thousand |
Forms of numbering[change | change source]
The American way or "Short form" for naming large numbers is different from the European way or "Long form" of naming large numbers. This is mainly because of American finance. Short form numbering is based on thousands and Long form is based on millions. Because of this, in Short form a billion is one thousand millions (109) while in Long form it is one million millions (1012). The change in the United Kingdom to Short form numbering happened in 1974. Today, Short form is most commonly used in most English speaking countries.
Names for large numbers[change | change source]
| Scientific notation |
American name
(Short Form) |
Old European name
(Long Form) |
Old-British name | SI Symbol | Metric prefix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One | One | One | ||
| 10 | Ten | Ten | Ten | da | Deca- |
| 100 | Hundred | Hundred | Hundred | h | Hecto- |
| 1000 | Thousand | Thousand | Thousand | k | Kilo- |
| 10000 | Ten thousand | Ten thousand | Ten thousand | my (Now obsolete) | Myria- (Now obsolete) |
| 100000 | Hundred thousand | Hundred thousand | Hundred thousand | ||
| 1000000 | Million | Million | Million | M | Mega- |
| 1000000000 | Billion | Milliard | Thousand million | G | Giga- |
| 1012 | Trillion | Billion | Billion | T | Tera- |
| 1015 | Quadrillion | Billiard | Thousand billion | P | Peta- |
| 1018 | Quintillion | Trillion | Trillion | E | Exa- |
| 1021 | Sextillion | Trilliard | Thousand trillion | Z | Zetta- |
| 1024 | Septillion | Quadrillion | Quadrillion | Y | Yotta- |
| 1027 | Octillion | Quadrilliard | Thousand quadrillion | R | Ronna- |
| 1030 | Nonillion | Quintilion | Quintillion | Q | Quetta- |
| 1033 | Decillion | Quintilliard | Thousand quintillion | ||
| 1036 | Undecillion | Sextillion | Sextillion | ||
| 1039 | Duodecillion | Sextilliard | Thousand sextillion | ||
| 1042 | Tredecillion | Septillion | Septillion | ||
| 1045 | Quattuordecillion | Septilliard | Thousand septillion | ||
| 1048 | Quindecillion | Octillion | Octillion | ||
| 1051 | Sexdecillion | Octilliard | Thousand octillion | ||
| 1054 | Septendecillion | Nonillion | Nonillion | ||
| 1057 | Octodecillion | Nonilliard | Thousand nonillion | ||
| 1060 | Novemdecillion | Decillion | Decillion | ||
| 1063 | Vigintillion | Decilliard | Thousand decillion | ||
| 1066 | Unvigintillion | Undecillion | Undecillion | ||
| 1069 | Duovigintillion | Undecilliard | Thousand undecillion | ||
| 1072 | Trevigintillion | Duodecillion | Duodecillion | ||
| 1075 | Quattuorvigintillion | Duodecilliard | Thousand duodecillion | ||
| 1078 | Quinvigintillion | Tredecillion | Tredecillion | ||
| 1081 | Sexvigintillion | Tredecilliard | Thousand tredecillion | ||
| 1084 | Septenvigintillion | Quattuordecillion | Quattuordecillion | ||
| 1087 | Octovigintillion | Quattuordecilliard | Thousand quattuordecillion | ||
| 1090 | Novemvigintillion | Quindecillion | Quindecillion | ||
| 1093 | Trigintillion | Quindecilliard | Thousand quindecillion | ||
| 10100 | Googol | Googol | Googol | ||
| 10123 | Quadragintillion | Vigintilliard | . | ||
| 10^153 | Quinquagintillion | ||||
| 10^183 | sexagintillion | ||||
| 10^213 | septuagintillion | ||||
| 10^243 | octogintillion | ||||
| 10^273 | nonagintillion | ||||
| 10303 | Centillion | Quinquagintilliard | |||
| 10^603 | ducentillion | ||||
| 10^3003 | Millinillion | ||||
| 10^3000003 | Micrillion | ||||
| 10^3000000003 | Nanillion | ||||
| 10^3*10^12+3 | Picillion | ||||
| 10^3*10^33+3 | Mecillion | ||||
| 10^10^100 | Googolplex | ||||
| 10^10^303 | Ecetonplex | ||||
| 10^10^3003 | Chalatonplex | ||||
| 10^10^10^34 | Skewes number | ||||
| 10^10^10^100 | Googolplexian | ||||
| 10^10^10^303 | Ecetonplexian | ||||
| 3↑↑↑3 | Tritri | ||||
| 4↑↑↑↑4 | Tritret | ||||
| 10↑↑↑↑3 | Super K | ||||
| ∞ | Infinity |
There is also the number googol, which is a 1 with 100 zeros behind it (10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), and the number googolplex, which is a 1 with a googol of zeros behind it, (1010,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) (1010100). And also the number googolplexian, 1 with a googolplex number of zeros behind it. Googolplexianplex, or googolplexianplexian are still theoretical numbers, but they might have some use in real life.
The name centillion was devised in the 19th century for the 100th "illion", being 10303 in short form and 10600 in long form.
million
billion
trillion
quadrillion
quintillion
sextillion
septillion
octillion
nonillion
decillion
undecillion
duodecillion
tredecillion
quattuordecillion
quindecillion
sexdecillion
septendecillion
octodecillion
novemdecillion
vigintillion
unvigintillion
duovigintillion
trevigintillionth
quattuorvigintillion
quinvigintillion
sexvigintillion
septenvigintillion
octovigintillion
novemvigintillion
trigintillion
googol
quadragintillion
quinquagintillion
sexagintillion
septuagintillion
octogintillion
nonagintillion
centillion
ducentillion
trucentillion
quingentillion
octingentillion
millinillion
dumillinillion
quinmillinillion
decimillinillion / myrillion
centimillinillion
micrillion
nanillion
picillion
femtillion
attillion
zeptillion
yoctillion
xonillion
vecillion
mecillion
duecillion
trecillion
tetrecillion
pentecillion
hexecillion
heptecillion
octecillion
ennecillikon
icosillion
meicosillion
doeicosillion
trioicosillion
tetreicosillion
penteicosillion
hexeicosillion
hepteicosillion
octeicosillion
enneicosillion
triacontillion
googolplex
tetracontillion
pentacontillion
hexacontillion
heptacontillion
octacontillion
ennacontillion
hectillion
killinillion
megillion
gigillion
terillion
petillion
exillion
zettillion
yottillion
xennillion
dakillion
hendillion
dokillion
tradakillion
tedakillion
pedakillion
exdakillion
zedakillion
yodakillion
nedakillion
ikillion
ikenillion
icodillion
ictrillion
icterillion
icpetillion
ikectillion
iczetillion
icyotillion
ixentillion
trakillion
googolduplex / googolplexian
tekillion
pekillion
exakillion
zakillion
yokillion
nekillion
hotillion
botillion
trotillion
totillion
potillion
exotillion
zottillion
yottillion
notillion
kalillion
dalillion
tralillion
talillion
palillion
exalillion
zalillion
yalillion
nalillion
dakalillion
hotalillion
mejillion
gijillion
astillion
lunillion
fermillion
jovillion
solillion
betillion
glocillion
gaxillion
supillion
versillion
multillion
Related pages[change | change source]
Other websites[change | change source]
- Counting Really,REALLY,REALLY High
- Naming Large Numbers Archived 2022-08-11 at the Wayback Machine