Large numbers

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The names of large numbers in English beyond one million are based on powers of 1000, and the names of the numbers come from Latin names for the number base. For example, million is from the Latin term mille for one thousand (a thousand thousands). From there, each subsequent large number name is from the Latin names for the base number plus the suffix -illion, such as two (billion, or two powers of a thousand), three (trillion, or three powers of a thousand), four (quadrillion, or four powers of a thousand), and so on. So each number name is 1000 times the previous number (one billion = one thousand million). This is the system used widely in North America, and in modern times, in British and Commonwealth English.


1 Standard mathematical names

The names below are standard modern English names. The names for numbers up to twenty powers of a thousand (vigintillion) and for 100 powers (centillion) are standard dictionary terms. For base 20 to 99, and for numbers beyond a centillion, mathematicians have proposed a system of creating names for other numbers.[1]


Base Value name
1 106 Million
2 109 Billion
3 1012 Trillion
4 1015 Quadrillion
5 1018 Quintillion
6 1021 Sextillion
7 1024 Septillion
8 1027 Octillion
9 1030 Nonillion
10 1033 Decillion
11 1036 Undecillion
12 1039 Duodecillion
13 1042 Tredecillion
14 1045 Quattuordecillion
15 1048 Quindecillion
16 1051 Sedecillion
17 1054 Septendecillion
18 1057 Octodecillion
19 1060 Novendecillion
20 1063 Vigintillion
21 1066 Unvigintillion
22 1069 Duovigintillion
23 1072 Tresvigintillion
24 1075 Quattuor­vigint­illion
25 1078 Quinvigintillion
26 1081 Sesvigintillion
27 1084 Septemvigintillion
28 1087 Octovigintillion
29 1090 Novemvigintillion
30 1093 Trigintillion
31 1096 Untrigintillion
32 1099 Duotrigintillion
33 10102 Trestrigintillion
34 10105 Quattuor­trigint­illion
35 10108 Quintrigintillion
36 10111 Sestrigintillion
37 10114 Septentrigintillion
38 10117 Octotrigintillion
39 10120 Noventrigintillion
40 10123 Quadragintillion
50 10153 Quinquagintillion
60 10183 Sexagintillion
70 10213 Septuagintillion
80 10243 Octogintillion
90 10273 Nonagintillion
100 10303 Centillion
101 10306 Uncentillion
110 10333 Decicentillion
111 10336 Undecicentillion
120 10363 Viginticentillion
121 10366 Unviginticentillion
130 10393 Trigintacentillion
140 10423 Quadra­gintacent­illion
150 10453 Quinqua­gintacent­illion
160 10483 Sexagintacentillion
170 10513 Septuagintacentillion
180 10543 Octogintacentillion
190 10573 Nonagintacentillion
200 10603 Ducentillion
300 10903 Trecentillion
400 101203 Quadringentillion
500 101503 Quingentillion
600 101803 Sescentillion
700 102103 Septingentillion
800 102403 Octingentillion
900 102703 Nongentillion
1000 103003 Millinillion

This system is called the short scale system, which differs from the long scale number systems used in Continental Europe and Latin America, where the numbers follow the pattern of million, milliard (1000 million), billion (1000 milliard), billiard (1000 billion), trillion (1000 billiard), trilliard (1000 trillion), and so on.


The numeral names like those above can be created by combining the following prefixes with the ending -illion; for example, the 142nd power would be duo + quadraginta + centillion, or one duoquadragintacentillion. To convert exponents to the power base and vice versa, the formula is 103n+3, where n is the power, so the 142nd power would be 10435, or one followed by 435 zeroes.

Units Ones Tens Hundreds
1 Un Deci Centi
2 Duo Viginti Ducenti
3 Tre(s) Triginta Trecenti
4 Quattuor Quadraginta Quadringenti
5 Quinqua Quinquaginta Quingenti
6 Se(s/x) Sexaginta Sescenti
7 Septe(n/m) Septuaginta Septingenti
8 Octo Octoginta Octingenti
9 Nove(m/n) Nonaginta Nongenti


2 Googol numbers

Googol is another commonly heard large number, which corresponds to 10 duotrigintillion, or 10100, or 1 followed by 100 zeroes. The number was proposed by mathematician Edward Kasner in 1940, who asked his young nephew to come up with a name for a large number. He also propsed an even larger number, a googleplex, which is a one followed by a googol zeroes. The search engine Google is named after the number googol, with a spelling change, suggesting its size and scope as a search engine.

  • Googol = 10100 = 10 duotrigintillion
  • Googolplex = 1010100 or 10googol


3 Colloquial terms

Finally, in English slang, colloquial style, dialects, and children's speech, several terms are used that suggest a very large but non-specific amount. The most popular term is zillion meaning 'some very large amount', as well as jillion, kazillion and so on. For example, in colloquial English, one might say things like "I have a zillion things to do" for the sake of emphasis or hyperbole


4 See also

5 See also

  1. These lists are taken from the Wikipedia entry for large numbers.