Dot versus comma in numbers

Question

I was just reading this article and I noticed it wrote the number 2.5 million as 2.5 million near the top and 2,5 million near the bottom. Would you normally use a comma or a period when writing numbers like this? Are both ways correct?

Answer 1

English is backwards regarding this issue. Be careful with numbers from one language to another. In Spanish, thousands are separated by periods and fractions by commas. Also what a billion is in English, is a thousand million in Spanish. Example:

1. 2 billions = 2,000,000,000.00 English
2. 2 mil millones = 2'000.000.000,00
3. And a trillion in English is equivalent to a billion in Spanish.

In some Spanish. The use of punto o coma is regional. - 0074b507, Dec 14, 2011

The majority uses what this answer says. I guess Mexico and Puerto Rico may use the English notation because of the US influence as far as I know.. - 00e657d4, Dec 14, 2011

No, whoever is using otherwise, is going against the rules. It is quite dangerous! It is incorrect and improper. - farallon7, Dec 14, 2011

So you're saying CNN made a mistake in the headline of their article and twice further down in the page. Hmmm... - fatchocobo, Dec 14, 2011

If they were talking about numbers in Spanish, Absolutely! CNN is handled by people, people make mistakes. They are not infallible to make them! - farallon7, Dec 14, 2011

C N N frequently make mistakes - among other annoying things. - ian-hill, Dec 14, 2011

Answer 2

English is backward regarding this issue.

I beg your pardon !! backward = retarded.

It depends on the context! - farallon7, Dec 15, 2011

Answer 3

It really does depend on country. Here are a few examples:

Dot - Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, United States.

Comma - Argentina, Spain, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Paraguay, Chile

In South Africa English speakers use a comma in place of the conventional dot.

Interesting - fatchocobo, Dec 14, 2011

Answer 4

Guillermo and qfreed:

• No, whoever is using otherwise, is going against the rules. It is quite dangerous! It is incorrect and improper.
• Regardless that Mexico is next to the U.S and that Puerto Rico is a U.S territory, Spanish is Spanish and English is English. You can mess up a prescription, the amount of money, fraction or any quantity because of this.

Answer 5

To fatchocobo.

• f they were talking about numbers in Spanish, Absolutely! CNN is handled by people, people make mistakes. They are not infallible to make them!