One lakh in words is written as one lakh, and it equals 100,000 (one hundred thousand) in the international system. This page explains lakh and crore in words, how they compare with million and billion, and how to write any amount correctly.
What is a lakh and what is a crore
A lakh is a hundred thousand. It has five zeros: 1,00,000. A crore is a hundred lakh. It has seven zeros: 1,00,00,000. Both are part of the Indian number system, which is used in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- 1 lakh = 1,00,000 = one hundred thousand
- 10 lakh = 10,00,000 = one million
- 1 crore = 1,00,00,000 = ten million
- 100 crore = 1,00,00,00,000 = one billion
Spelling of lakh and crore
The correct English spelling is lakh, with "kh" at the end. You may also see "lac" on old documents, but lakh is the standard form today. The spelling of crore is c, r, o, r, e. In Hindi they are written as लाख and करोड़.
After a number, keep the word singular: write "five lakh", not "five lakhs". People do say "lakhs of people" when no exact number is given, and that is fine in speech.
Indian and international place values
The Indian system puts the first comma after three digits from the right, then after every two digits. The international system puts a comma after every three digits. The chart below shows each place side by side.
| Number | Indian system | International system |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One | One |
| 10 | Ten | Ten |
| 100 | Hundred | Hundred |
| 1,000 | Thousand | Thousand |
| 10,000 | Ten thousand | Ten thousand |
| 1,00,000 / 100,000 | One lakh | One hundred thousand |
| 10,00,000 / 1,000,000 | Ten lakh | One million |
| 1,00,00,000 / 10,000,000 | One crore | Ten million |
| 10,00,00,000 / 100,000,000 | Ten crore | One hundred million |
| 1,00,00,00,000 / 1,000,000,000 | One hundred crore | One billion |
Lakh and crore amounts in words
Here are the amounts people search for most, written in both systems.
| Indian figure | Indian system in words | International system in words |
|---|---|---|
| 1,00,000 | one lakh | one hundred thousand |
| 1,50,000 | one lakh fifty thousand | one hundred fifty thousand |
| 2,00,000 | two lakh | two hundred thousand |
| 2,50,000 | two lakh fifty thousand | two hundred fifty thousand |
| 5,00,000 | five lakh | five hundred thousand |
| 10,00,000 | ten lakh | one million |
| 20,00,000 | twenty lakh | two million |
| 50,00,000 | fifty lakh | five million |
| 1,00,00,000 | one crore | ten million |
| 10,00,00,000 | ten crore | one hundred million |
How to write any lakh amount in words
Follow these steps for a number like 2,45,000:
- Put the commas in the Indian way: 2,45,000.
- Read the lakh group: 2 is "two lakh".
- Read the thousand group: 45 is "forty-five thousand".
- Read the last three digits. Here they are zeros, so nothing is added.
- Put it together: two lakh forty-five thousand.
Some more examples: 1,10,000 is one lakh ten thousand, 1,20,000 is one lakh twenty thousand, 1,70,000 is one lakh seventy thousand, and 5,10,000 is five lakh ten thousand.
Lakh rupees in words on a cheque
On a cheque, start with "Rupees", use capital letters, and end with "Only".
| Amount | Cheque format |
|---|---|
| ₹ 1,00,000 | Rupees One Lakh Only |
| ₹ 2,00,000 | Rupees Two Lakh Only |
| ₹ 5,00,000 | Rupees Five Lakh Only |
| ₹ 10,00,000 | Rupees Ten Lakh Only |
See our full guide on writing the amount in words on a cheque.
Million, billion and crore
When you read news in English, you often need to change million and billion into lakh and crore.
- 1 million = 10 lakh. So one million rupees in words is ten lakh rupees.
- 10 million = 1 crore.
- 100 million = 10 crore.
- 1 billion = 100 crore. So a billion rupees is one hundred crore rupees.
A quick trick: to change million into lakh, multiply by 10. To change crore into million, multiply by 10. So 2.5 crore is 25 million, and 3 million is 30 lakh.
Lakh and crore in Hindi
In Hindi the words stay almost the same. 1,50,000 is एक लाख पचास हज़ार (ek lakh pachaas hazaar), and 1,00,00,000 is एक करोड़ (ek crore).
Questions people ask
How do you write one lakh rupees in words?
One lakh rupees is written as "one lakh rupees". On a cheque, write Rupees One Lakh Only. In figures it is ₹ 1,00,000.
What is the correct spelling of lakh?
The correct spelling is lakh, with "kh" at the end. "Lac" is an older short form you may still see. In Hindi it is written as लाख.
How do you write 2,00,000 in words?
2,00,000 is two lakh in the Indian system and two hundred thousand in the international system. On a cheque it is Rupees Two Lakh Only.
One million rupees in words kitna hota hai?
One million matlab 10,00,000, yani ten lakh (दस लाख). Million ko lakh mein badalne ke liye 10 se multiply karo.
How many zeros are there in one crore?
One crore has seven zeros: 1,00,00,000. It equals one hundred lakh or ten million.