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How to Write an Amount in Words on a Cheque (Indian Format)
Quick Work Studio · 2026-10-01
Writing a cheque seems simple until you have to spell out a large amount in words. In India, amounts are written using lakh and crore, and a few small habits make your cheque much harder to alter. Here's how to get it right.
The basic format
The amount in words usually starts with "Rupees" and ends with "Only". For ₹12,34,000 you would write: "Rupees Twelve Lakh Thirty-Four Thousand Only". In the amount box, write the figures followed by "/-", like ₹12,34,000/-, which shows there are no paise and nothing more to add.
Lakh and crore, not million
Indian numbering groups digits differently from the international system. After the first thousand, commas come every two digits: 1,00,000 is one lakh and 1,00,00,000 is one crore. So:
- ₹50,000, Rupees Fifty Thousand Only
- ₹1,25,000, Rupees One Lakh Twenty-Five Thousand Only
- ₹12,34,567, Rupees Twelve Lakh Thirty-Four Thousand Five Hundred Sixty-Seven Only
- ₹2,50,00,000, Rupees Two Crore Fifty Lakh Only
Writing "one million two hundred thirty-four thousand" on an Indian cheque isn't wrong mathematically, but it's unusual and can cause confusion, so stick to lakh and crore.
Writing paise
If the amount includes paise, add them after the rupees: ₹1,250.50 becomes "Rupees One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty and Fifty Paise Only", and the figure is written as ₹1,250.50.
Habits that prevent tampering
- Start writing the words right at the beginning of the line, with no gap before "Rupees".
- Write "Only" immediately after the amount, then draw a line through any space left, so nothing can be added.
- Start the figures right next to the ₹ sign, leaving no room in front.
- Make sure the words and figures match exactly, if they don't, the bank may return the cheque.
- Use a pen with permanent ink, and never sign a blank cheque.
Don't correct a mistake, use a new cheque
Under the CTS-2010 standard used by Indian banks, cheques shouldn't carry corrections or overwriting apart from date validation. If you make a mistake in the amount or payee name, cancel the cheque by writing "CANCELLED" across it and use a fresh one.
Spelling and hyphens
Numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine are hyphenated: "Twenty-One", "Sixty-Seven". Watch common misspellings like "Fourty" (correct: Forty) and "Ninty" (correct: Ninety). Capitalising each word is customary on cheques, though not required.
Try it: our Number to Words tool spells out any amount in both the Indian (lakh/crore) and international systems, so you can copy the wording exactly.