Found in 1-2% of dissertations using MLA format. MLA requires spelling out any number you can write in one or two words — a wider range than APA's under-10 rule.
Spell out numbers that can be written in one or two words.
MLA's number rule is broader than APA's: spell out any number that can be expressed in one or two words. This means "twelve," "ninety-nine," "three hundred," and "two thousand" are all spelled out. Use numerals for numbers that would take three or more words to write: 101 (one hundred one — three words), 1,287, and so on.
This catches writers who learned APA's under-10 rule and apply it to MLA papers. In APA, you'd write "12 participants." In MLA, it's "twelve participants" because "twelve" is one word. The threshold is much higher in MLA, and failing to adjust tells your committee you haven't internalized the style guide.
Common exceptions: use numerals for addresses, dates, decimal numbers, statistics, scores, survey results, and numbers in technical or scientific contexts where precision matters. When you mix numbers from the same category and some require numerals, use numerals for all: "between 45 and 120 participants," not "between forty-five and 120 participants."
MLA recommends spelling out numbers expressible in one or two words (e.g., "forty-two" but "137"). Consistent number formatting shows attention to style details.
The study included 42 participants across 3 sites.
The study included forty-two participants across three sites.
Both 'twelve' and 'three' are single words — spell them out in MLA.
The researcher interviewed 12 participants over 3 weeks.
The researcher interviewed twelve participants over three weeks.
'Forty-five' is two words — still within MLA's spell-out threshold.
45 students completed the survey.
Forty-five students completed the survey.
'Three hundred and fifty-two' is more than two words — use the numeral.
The study ran for three hundred and fifty-two days.
The study ran for 352 days.
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