Signal and Strata

Is It 17 or Seventeen? Ap Style vs Chicago Manual Fact-Checked

Trying to understand how is It 17 or Seventeen? Ap Style vs Chicago Manual Fact-Checked impacts your daily choices? Read our breakdown with up-to-date information.

Q1: How do you spell the word form of 17?
A1: The cardinal number 17 is spelled **s-e-v-e-n-t-e-e-n**. It is written as a single word without hyphens or spaces.

Q2: Is it grammatically incorrect to write "17" instead of "seventeen"?
A2: Neither form is inherently ungrammatical, but propriety depends on the chosen editorial style. Journalism following AP Style mandates **17**, while book publishing following Chicago style requires **seventeen** in regular prose.

Q3: How do you spell the ordinal form of 17?
A3: The ordinal form representing sequence or position is spelled **seventeenth**. It adds the suffix *-th* to the base cardinal number.

Q4: Can you start a sentence with the numeral 17?
A4: Major style guides prohibit opening a sentence with an Arabic numeral. You must either write **Seventeen** or rephrase the sentence so the number appears later in the clause.

Q5: Does "seventeen" ever require a hyphen?
A5: The word itself is never hyphenated. It only takes a hyphen when incorporated into a compound adjective modifying a noun that follows, such as "a seventeen-year-old student" or "seventeenth-century art."

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