Wednesday's Words - What Comes After a Trillion?

This is a result of a conversation we had with our contractor.

Image courtesy of http://www.deathby1000papercuts.com/

Million, Billion, Trillion...


© Copyright 1999, Jim Loy



People sometimes ask me the names of the large numbers. Here is a table. The system used in the U.S. is not as logical as that used in other countries (like Great Britain, France, and Germany). In these other countries, a billion (bi meaning two) has twice as many zeros as a million, and a trillion (tri meaning three) has three times as many zeros as a million, etc. But the scientific community seems to use the American system.



Number of zeros U.S. & scientific community Other countries

3 thousand thousand

6 million million

9 billion 1000 million (1 milliard)

12 trillion billion

15 quadrillion 1000 billion

18 quintillion trillion

21 sextillion 1000 trillion

24 septillion quadrillion

27 octillion 1000 quadrillion

30 nonillion quintillion

33 decillion 1000 quintillion

36 undecillion sextillion

39 duodecillion 1000 sextillion

42 tredecillion septillion

45 quattuordecillion 1000 septillion

48 quindecillion octillion

51 sexdecillion 1000 octillion

54 septendecillion nonillion

57 octodecillion 1000 nonillion

60 novemdecillion decillion

63 vigintillion 1000 decillion

66 - 120 undecillion - vigintillion

303 centillion

600 centillion