Rupees in Words - Cheque and Invoice Amounts in English
Type an amount in rupees and get the wording used on cheques and invoices, such as Rupees One Hundred and Twenty Three and Cents Forty Five Only.
Maintained by Hirantha Sandaruwan Lakshan. Rules checked 13 October 2026 against Bills of Exchange Ordinance, section 9(2): words prevail over figures and one more source.
About this tool
It handles cents, an amount under one rupee, commas in the number, and amounts up to Rs. 999,999,999,999.99. The work is done in whole cents in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
How it works
The amount is read as whole cents, so no floating point arithmetic is involved and nothing is rounded behind your back. The rupees come first in words, then 'and Cents' with the cents in words, then 'Only'. A cents part of zero is left out (Rupees One Hundred Only), and an amount under one rupee is written as cents alone (Cents Forty Five Only).
Numbers use international grouping: thousand, million and billion. The word 'and' follows British practice. It joins the hundreds to the rest of a group (One Hundred and Five), and it comes before the last two digits when something larger precedes them (One Thousand and One, One Million and Ten). There are no hyphens, so 21 is Twenty One. You can choose Title Case, UPPER CASE or Sentence case.
On a cheque the words matter more than the figures. Section 9(2) of the Bills of Exchange Ordinance says that when the sum is written in words and in figures and the two differ, the sum denoted by the words is the amount payable. Make the two agree, and read the words back before you sign.
This tool does not use lakh or crore. We found no Sri Lankan rule that requires them on a cheque or an invoice, so only thousand, million and billion are offered. An amount with more than two decimal places is refused with the rounded figure shown, because a cheque or invoice should carry a whole number of cents. Cent coins are rarely seen today, but amounts are still written to the cent.
Worked examples
Rs. 123.45
Rupees One Hundred and Twenty Three and Cents Forty Five Only.
Less than one rupee, and exactly one
0.45 is Cents Forty Five Only. 1 is Rupees One Only. 1.01 is Rupees One and Cents One Only.
A large invoice, Rs. 2,500,000
Rupees Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Only. Commas typed in the amount are ignored, so 2,500,000 and 2500000 give the same words.
Tricky numbers and how they are written
| Amount (Rs.) | In words |
|---|---|
| 10 | Rupees Ten Only |
| 11 | Rupees Eleven Only |
| 19 | Rupees Nineteen Only |
| 20 | Rupees Twenty Only |
| 21 | Rupees Twenty One Only |
| 100 | Rupees One Hundred Only |
| 101 | Rupees One Hundred and One Only |
| 110 | Rupees One Hundred and Ten Only |
| 1,000 | Rupees One Thousand Only |
| 1,001 | Rupees One Thousand and One Only |
| 100,000 | Rupees One Hundred Thousand Only |
| 1,000,000 | Rupees One Million Only |
| 1,000,001 | Rupees One Million and One Only |
| 999,999 | Rupees Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Only |
Frequently asked questions
How do I write Rs. 1,250.50 in words on a cheque?
Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty and Cents Fifty Only. Type 1,250.50 into the box and the wording is built for you.
Which counts if the words and the figures on a cheque disagree?
The words. Section 9(2) of the Bills of Exchange Ordinance says the sum denoted by the words is the amount payable. Make the two agree before you sign.
Does it use lakh and crore?
No. It uses thousand, million and billion only. We found no Sri Lankan rule that requires lakh or crore on a cheque or an invoice, so we did not add them.
What is the largest amount it can write?
Rs. 999,999,999,999.99, which is just under one trillion rupees. A larger amount is refused with a message, and so is a negative amount.
What happens if I type more than two decimal places?
It is refused, and the message shows the amount rounded to the nearest cent. For example 1.234 is refused and the message suggests 1.23. Rounding silently could change a cheque amount without you noticing.
Why is it written as 'Cents Forty Five' and not 'Forty Five Cents'?
The tool puts the label first, 'Rupees ... and Cents ...', so both parts follow one pattern. Some people write 'Forty Five Cents'. Both are clear, and one fixed form keeps the output predictable.
Can I get the words in capital letters?
Yes. Choose UPPER CASE for RUPEES ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE AND CENTS FORTY FIVE ONLY, Sentence case for the first letter only, or Title Case, which is the default.
Sources & references
Updated Oct 13, 2026