
Numerals or words?
When writing about numbers that appear in a UI, duplicate them exactly as the UI displays. Otherwise, follow these guidelines.
For guidelines on writing numbers in UI text, see Numbers in the UI text style guidelines.
Spell out numbers from zero to nine. Use the numeral if the number is 10 or greater. Use a comma in a number that has four or more digits, but don't use a comma in years. See the following examples:
- Zero downtime
- 10 forwarders
- 1,045 MB
- April 22, 2019
For more information about commas and decimals, see Commas and decimals.
Be consistent
If a single-digit number appears in a sentence with another number that is 10 or greater, then use numerals for all numbers in that sentence. See the following examples:
- From the 10 menu options, select your top 5 choices.
- Modify the memory usage threshold from 8% to 15%.
- An 8 CPU, 10 GB memory machine can achieve 50-60 Mb per second throughput.
Don't start a sentence with a numeral
Avoid starting a sentence with a numeral. Instead, rewrite the sentence so the number comes later in the sentence or is prefaced by a modifier. If you can't rewrite the sentence, spell out the number at the beginning of the sentence. See the following examples:
- More than 10 add-ons are available.
- This cluster contains 11 peers.
When to use numerals
Use numerals for numbers associated with dates, decimals, fractions, measurements, percentages, ranges, time, versions, weight, and other data for comparison or analysis. It's okay to use numerals in tables or in text with limited space. Review the following table for examples of when to use numerals in text:
Use numerals for | Example | For more information |
---|---|---|
Dates | April 22, 2019 | See Dates. |
Decimals | 3.14 | See Commas and decimals. |
Dimensions | 1280 x 1024 | |
Distance | 4 feet | |
Duration of time | 2 minutes | See Time. |
Fractions | 1/4 | See Fractions. |
Measurements | 8 CPU | See Measurements. |
Numerical user input | In the Number field, type 5. | |
Percentages | 25% | |
Phone numbers | +1-888-555-1212 | See Phone numbers. |
Pixels | 450 px, 1920 x 1080 pixels | |
Ranges | 50-60 GB | See Ranges. |
Time of day | 2:30 PM-5 PM | See Time. |
Versions | Splunk Enterprise 7.x | See Versions. |
Weight | 40 lbs |
PREVIOUS Caution callout boxes |
NEXT Dates |
This documentation applies to the following versions of Splunk® Style Guide: current
Feedback submitted, thanks!