M vs MM What Is The Correct Abbreviation for “Million”?
I have seen million, billion, and trillion abbreviated as M, B, and T respectively. However, I would not bet that that is a standard abbreviation. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack https://www.kelleysbookkeeping.com/ Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. “M” is the official abbreviation used whenever a million units of something are requested.
When to Use the Abbreviation
Our goal is to create English lessons that are easy to understand for everyone. However, millions range from 1,000,000 to 999,999,999 so there can be a maximum of eight zeros if you are referencing a 100 million (100,000,000). There are a few different ways to abbreviate billion, most are similar to the million abbreviations.
Beyond Large Number Abbreviations
“M” can mean “thousand” or “billion,” and it is essential to clarify what “M” implies or use “MM” when referring to a million. Certain abbreviations, such as “M,” have become part of the public lexicon through common usage, leading to a further acceptance of such use. Though there is no globally accepted standard, there are country-specific standards.
- Writers should avoid using “M” in technical texts or research articles and stick to the proper abbreviation prescribed by the authorized body, where necessary.
- The word “million” is not a commonly abbreviated word, but its abbreviations still have their place.
- 1 million watts abbreviates to 1MW or “megawatt” and in geology, one million years ago is often abbreviated to “1 mya”.
- Generally, the abbreviation with two M’s is preferred in finance.
- Abbreviating a million is common, especially in the financial context.
Examples of the Word in Context
In some industries, such as finance and banking, “M” and “MM” are preferred for abbreviating millions. That’s why it’s important to keep your writing style consistent with your industry’s common practices. “mm” is often left uncapitalized (though there are no specific rules that state which way it should be written). It is Latin for multiplying one “thousand” by itself to create the “million” number. When it comes to abbreviating “million,” the most common error involves inconsistency. Inconsistency is a problem that creeps into the writing when the context of the abbreviation changes, the audience differs, or the need for the consistency slackens.
Should you use abbreviations?
Typically, the abbreviation is used right after a number without a space. “MM” is an old-fashioned abbreviation, but it still sees some usage today. You might come across “mm” in scientific or engineering fields, where different values are required, and they can reach well into the millions as a unit. “mm” (which is usually kept in the lower case) is an old-fashioned abbreviation that doesn’t see much common usage. You’ll find that it’s mainly used in the energy sector, but it otherwise doesn’t get recognized.
When choosing an abbreviation, it’s essential to consider the context. Using “mn” could cause confusion outside of Europe, and “MM” may not be understood in 242 accounting quizzes online trivia questions and answers certain contexts. For instance, in technical writing, you may prefer to use “M” instead of “MM” as symbols and their use may depend on the field you are in.
And during the middle ages, monks practiced compressing text in manuscripts to save time, effort, and resources. The use of abbreviations dates back to ancient times and has been in use ever since. Abbreviations save both time and effort while communicating information, especially when it comes to numbers and quantities. There https://www.kelleysbookkeeping.com/creditor-definition/ are other variations that you may come across, such as “mil” or “mio” (short for million) but they are not recommended for formal writing in English. The first abbreviation is the letter “M”, which stands for “thousand” in Roman numerals. The “M” abbreviation is widely used, especially in finance, to indicate one million.