Do you say "One thousand million"..can you answer by giving me examples?

1,000,000----> 1 million
1,000,000,000---->1 billion

Why is it that in spanish it is different?

Hi Mahabir,

I responded to this question in 1997 and to a related question in 2003 using information from the Webster's Third New International Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass. 1967. I was unaware that in 1974 the government of the UK switched to the American system. The system described below as the British system is no longer in use in the UK. A further explanation and related links can be found in More on Millions and Billions.

Penny

I looked in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass. 1967. and found the following table and footnotes. (I have shortened the table here.)

A footnote explaining the naming system reads as follows:

The names of the denominations in the American system correspond to the number of periods of zeros (groups of three zeros) that come after 1,000 (the numeral for one billion [1,000,000,000] contains two [bi-]; and the numerial for one trillion [1,000,000,000,000] contains three [tri-]. The names of the British denominations correspond to the values expressed in powers of one million (one billion=a million to the 2d power; one trillion=a million to the 3d power)

Another footnote indicate that the American system of numeration for denominations above one million is the same as the French system, and the British system corresponds to the German.

Here in Canada we use the American system. I am curious to know what is used in Spanish speaking countries.

Cheers
Penny.