When is a billion not a billion?

Question

When is a billion not a billion? While we're at it, when is a trillion not a trillion?

¿Cuándo es un billón no todavía un billón?

Answer 1

Es cierto que en Inglaterra un billón es un millón de millones, pero en los Estados Unidos significa un mil millones. Un trillón en Inglaterra significa un billón billones, pero in los Estados Unidos significa un mil millones.

It's true that in England a billion is a million millons, but in the United States it means a thousand millions. A trillion in England means a billion billions, but in the United States it means a thousand billions. It's interesting to find a false cognate between two groups of the same language!

There is a short scale and a long scale. In the long scale, number names go in increments of a million, but in the short scale, in increments of a thousands. - DonReba, Feb 23, 2013

A billion in the long scale is a million millions, while a trillion is a million billions (not a billion billions). England switched to the short scale a long time ago, though. - DonReba, Feb 23, 2013

Answer 2

Creo que un billón en Inglaterra sería un millón de millones, pero en los Estados Unidos sifgnifica dos millones, ¿no?

I think that in England a billion is a million millions, but in USA means two millions, no?

Trillion I don't know.