How to Write Dollars in Words (USD Amounts & Cheques)
Updated 2026-09-28 · 11 min read
Quick answer
$250.75 = "two hundred fifty dollars and seventy-five cents". On US cheques: write "Two hundred fifty and 75/100" on the words line and 250.75 in the figures box. One dollar = 100 cents; use the International system (million/billion), never lakh/crore.
Dollars and cents rules
- One dollar, two dollars; one cent, two cents.
- Read cents as a two-digit number: .05 → "five cents", .50 → "fifty cents".
- In prose: "two hundred fifty dollars and seventy-five cents".
- Never use lakh/crore with dollars — "25 lakh dollars" is wrong; say "2.5 million dollars".
US cheque format (different from PK/IN)
US cheques write cents as a fraction: "Two hundred fifty and 75/100 dollars". The words line typically ends with "dollars" pre-printed, so you write the amount before it. Always match the numeric box exactly.
Examples
| Amount | In words |
|---|---|
| $1 | one dollar |
| $100 | one hundred dollars |
| $1,000.50 | one thousand dollars and fifty cents |
| $1,000,000 | one million dollars |
| $2,500,000.25 | two million five hundred thousand dollars and twenty-five cents |
For Pakistanis/ Indians receiving dollars
Freelancers and exporters: invoices to US clients should use the International system. "$50,000" = "fifty thousand dollars", not "fifty thousand dollars (0.5 lakh)". Keep lakh/crore for domestic PKR/INR paperwork only.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you write $100 in words?
"One hundred dollars".
How do you write cents on a US cheque?
As a fraction: "…and 75/100" on the words line, with the full figure in the box.
Is it "dollar" or "dollars" for $1?
"One dollar" (singular); "$2" is "two dollars".
Can I use lakh with US dollars?
No — use million/billion for USD in all formal and international writing.