Names of Large Numbers in Order: Million to Vigintillion
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English names for large numbers follow a regular pattern. Once you know the pattern, you can read a long row of zeros, tell what comes after decillion, and check a name against its power of ten.
Large numbers list in order (short scale)
Modern English, including US and UK usage, uses the short scale. Each new name is 1,000 times the previous one, so every step adds three zeros.
| Name | Power of 10 | Number of zeros |
|---|---|---|
| Thousand | 10^3 | 3 |
| Million | 10^6 | 6 |
| Billion | 10^9 | 9 |
| Trillion | 10^12 | 12 |
| Quadrillion | 10^15 | 15 |
| Quintillion | 10^18 | 18 |
| Sextillion | 10^21 | 21 |
| Septillion | 10^24 | 24 |
| Octillion | 10^27 | 27 |
| Nonillion | 10^30 | 30 |
| Decillion | 10^33 | 33 |
| Undecillion | 10^36 | 36 |
| Duodecillion | 10^39 | 39 |
| Tredecillion | 10^42 | 42 |
| Quattuordecillion | 10^45 | 45 |
| Quindecillion | 10^48 | 48 |
| Sexdecillion | 10^51 | 51 |
| Septendecillion | 10^54 | 54 |
| Octodecillion | 10^57 | 57 |
| Novemdecillion | 10^60 | 60 |
| Vigintillion | 10^63 | 63 |
The pattern behind the names
From million onward, each name uses a Latin-based prefix followed by "illion". The prefix gives a count n, and the value is 10^(3n + 3). Billion uses bi (2), so it is 10^9. Decillion uses deci (10), so it is 10^33.
- Million: n = 1, 10^6
- Trillion: n = 3, 10^12
- Decillion: n = 10, 10^33
- Quattuordecillion: n = 14, 10^45
- Vigintillion: n = 20, 10^63
What comes after decillion
After decillion (10^33) comes undecillion (10^36), then duodecillion (10^39), tredecillion (10^42) and quattuordecillion (10^45).
What comes after quattuordecillion
After quattuordecillion (10^45) comes quindecillion (10^48), followed by sexdecillion (10^51), septendecillion (10^54), octodecillion (10^57), novemdecillion (10^60) and vigintillion (10^63).
Which number is 1000000000000000000000000000000000
That number is a 1 followed by 33 zeros, which is 10^33, or one decillion. A reliable way to read it is to split the zeros into groups of three from the right. There are 11 groups, and the eleventh group of zeros corresponds to decillion in the table above.
You can paste a long number into the calculator, turn on the comma view, and read the digit count shown below the result. The words section names it in English when a supported name exists.
Short scale and long scale
Some languages use the long scale, where a new name appears every six zeros. In that system, a billion means 10^12 rather than 10^9. When a number name could be ambiguous, writing the power of ten avoids confusion.
| Value | Short scale | Long scale |
|---|---|---|
| 10^9 | Billion | Thousand million (milliard) |
| 10^12 | Trillion | Billion |
| 10^18 | Quintillion | Trillion |
Googol and centillion
A googol is 10^100. It is a named number rather than part of the illion series. A centillion is 10^303 in the short scale. Neither is the largest number, because any number can be increased by adding one.