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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Public safety officials ask state to investigate Grant County sheriff ... Gun background-check bill clears Oregon House, heads to Senate ... Washington man jailed after fatal crash in Ashland ... Public safety officials ask state to investigate Grant County sheriff ... Gun background-check bill clears Oregon House, heads to Senate ... Washington man jailed after fatal crash in Ashland ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Rules on numerals? Let us count the ways Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 19, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 19, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News I have an odd question about numbers. I was always taught that you should spell out numbers from zero through nine and use numerals for all numbers 10 and above. But in the paper, I see "three" and "3" used or "seven" and "7." So am I confused or is it your writers who are confused? — Sam, Medford First, Sam, since this is about numbers, are you sure it's an odd question or could it be an even question? Sorry ... and now for the rest of the story: You are generally correct that any number less than 10 should be spelled out — in most circumstances. But there are a number of exceptions to the rule and they're all detailed in the The Associated Press Stylebook, which is what journalists use, or at least are supposed to use, when crafting their prose. The exceptions include: Ages: "Billy, age 7, wore a clown's costume." Dimensions: "The rug covered a 3-by-4-foot area," "The man was 5 feet tall." Scores: "The Giants prevailed 6-2." Distances: "He walked 4 miles." Other AP rules call for using under-10 numerals for votes, monetary units, addresses, temperatures, TV channels and court decisions (and we've all seen a lot of court-related references to 5-4 and 4-4 recently, haven't we?). That's a lot of exceptions. No wonder our reporters occasionally get confused. Then again, whenever reporters start using numbers, there's a big red light that blinks furiously in the newsroom, accompanied by the panicked announcement: "Warning, warning, journalist doing math!" Suppose that's why they call us wordsmiths and not numbersmiths. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 19, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501