How to Write Non-U.S. Dollars as Words and Symbols

My last currency post explained how to write euros and pounds as words and symbols. Today’s post extends the foreign currency theme by explaining how to write non-U.S. dollars as words and symbols.

The guidelines below are based on The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) and The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style). If your organization has an in-house style guide, refer to that resource before following these guidelines because some organizations and industries have strict formats for writing about currency.

AP Style

Follow AP style for writing non-U.S. dollars if your content is news-centric or you want to follow traditional journalism styles.

AP style recommends converting foreign currency to U.S. currency in most instances. However, if you need to write specific non-U.S. dollars, use a numeral followed by the full currency name for the first reference, and then use the country’s two-letter abbreviation before the dollar sign for secondary references.¹ Note that there is no space between the abbreviation and the dollar sign.

[First Reference] The jeans cost 60 Canadian dollars.

[Secondary Reference] The teenager thought CA$60 for jeans was too expensive.

See page 73 in The Associated Press Stylebook 2018 or page 72 in The Associated Press Stylebook 2017 for the AP’s list of two-letter country abbreviations.

Chicago Style

Follow Chicago style for writing non-U.S. dollars if you want to adhere to traditional publishing standards.

Chicago style recommends (1) spelling out isolated references, (2) using abbreviations with the dollar sign, or (3) using currency codes when writing non-U.S. dollars.

Spell Out Isolated References

Chicago says that we can spell out “isolated references” to all currency, including non-U.S. dollars, represented by whole numbers up to 101.²

In Sydney, a dozen eggs costs six Australian dollars.

One bag of apples costs thirty Hong Kong dollars.

However, spelling out long names, such as the Hong Kong dollar or New Zealand dollar, may be awkward in certain situations; in which case, you may want to use the symbols or currency codes described below, even for isolated references.

Use Abbreviations with the Dollar Sign

Chicago style recommends using a country abbreviation before the dollar symbol for more frequent references to non-U.S. dollars.³

In Sydney, a dozen eggs costs A$6.

One bag of apples costs HK$30.

Unlike AP style, Chicago style doesn’t provide a specific list of country abbreviations, so ensure that the abbreviations you choose are clear based on the surrounding content.

Use Currency Codes

In formal documents, Chicago style says that you can use the International Organization for Standardization’s letter codes for all currency, including non-U.S. dollars.⁴

In Sydney, a dozen eggs costs AUD6.

One bag of apples costs HKD30.

However, determine your audience’s familiarity with these codes before using them because they may not be as widely recognized as the abbreviation–symbol method shown above.

Resources

1. The Associated Press Stylebook 2018 (New York: Associated Press, 2018), 73.
2. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 9.20.
3. The Chicago Manual of Style, 9.21.
4. The Chicago Manual of Style, 9.21.