

How to Identify and Use Periods in Number System
Expressing the numbers sequentially is very important to avoid confusion and error. And to avoid confusion and error, "Period in Number System" is used. It not only helps to express the number in standard numeral form, but it also helps to represent the number in a small symbol set. So we can say that the period in the number system makes Maths a little bit easier for us to understand. So, in this article, we will talk about the period in the number system, the difference between Indian and international number systems, and many more interesting things related to the period in the number system.
What is a Number?
They are part of our everyday life. We use them in counting, measuring, ordering things, and many other ways. They are the basic components of Mathematics. We are talking about how a large number can be read and written easily by putting commas (,) in large numbers.
Placement of Comma
We use commas in large numbers to easily read and write the number. Whether it's an Indian number system or an International number system, the commas are placed in different positions to know the place of the numbers.

Kid showing number with the placement of a comma
What is the Period in the Number System?
It's a way of representing the number systematically. It represents the number in the set, and it helps to make a small set of numbers so we can read and write it without getting confused.
We use commas (,) to the number to show the period in the number system. Every digit of the number gets represented because of the period in the number system. And they also get their place value and face value also only because of the period used in the number system.
For example, 2,65,73,42,189 in the Indian Place Value Chart.
2,657,342,189 in the International Place Value Chart.
Importance of Period in the Number system
It helps to read the number quickly.
It helps us to determine the place value of various digits easily.
It helps to avoid errors while writing long numbers or doing a long calculation of numbers.
It prevents confusion of digits while making the comparison of two long numbers.
What is Period in the Indian Number System?
When we talk about periods in the Indian Number System then in this system, the periods are divided according to the rule of 3:2:2. This means starting from the right, the first comma is placed after 3 digits, then the next commas are placed after every 2 digits.
Nine places are grouped into four periods: ones, thousands, lakhs, and crores.
Place Values: Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, lakhs, ten lakhs, crores, and ten crores.
For example, notice the commas in the following number: 2,45,53,62,886
What is Period in the International Number System?
In this system, the periods are divided according to the rule of 3:3:3. This means starting from the right, the first comma is placed after 3 digits, then the next commas are also placed after every 3 digits. Nine places are grouped into three periods: ones, thousands, and millions.
Place Values: Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousand, hundred thousand, millions, ten million, and hundred million.
For example, notice the commas in the following number: 2,455,362,886.

International Number System
Number Names
To write the number in words, we call it a number name. And after correctly writing the number by putting commas in the correct place and giving them an accurate period, it will become very easy to write the number name.
Example: Write the number name for 75,395 according to the period in the Indian Number System.
Ans: According to the period in the Indian number system, 75,395 is read and can be written in words as seventy-five thousand three hundred and ninety five.
Solved Example
1. State true or false as per the Indian place value system.
In the Indian place value chart, nine places are grouped into four periods: Ones, Thousands, Lakhs, and Crores.
Ans: True, in the Indian place value chart, nine places are grouped into four periods: Ones, Thousands, Lakhs, and Crores.
As per the Indian place value system, the commas in the number 75315680 are placed as 75,315,680.
Ans: False, as per the Indian place value system, the commas in the number 75315680 are placed as 7,53,15,680.
2. Write the expanded form in the international number system. One hundred twenty-two million one hundred twenty-two thousand one hundred forty-three.
Ans: The expanded form of one hundred twenty-two million one hundred twenty-two thousand one hundred forty-three can be written as 122,122,143.
3. How will the numbers 2,34,32,829 be read out according to the Indian numeral system?
Ans: The number 2,34,32,829 will be read as 'Two crores, thirty-four lakh, thirty-two thousand eight hundred twenty nine.
Practice Questions
1. Write the number name for 56,67,789.
Ans: Fifty six lakhs sixty seven thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.
2. Which period comes after the lakh period?
Ans: Crore period comes after the lakh period.
3. Put the comma according to the Indian system and give the correct period to the number.
567895
78956489
369369125
Ans:
5,67,895
7,89,56,489
36,93,69,125
Summary
In this article, we learned about the period in the number system, how important it is, and how it solves our problem of reading and writing numbers. In the Indian numeral system, nine places are grouped into four periods: ones, thousands, lakhs, and crores. Whereas for the international number system, nine places are grouped into three periods: ones, thousands, and millions. In the end, we added some solved examples and practice problems to understand the topic better.
FAQs on Period in Number System Explained with Examples
1. What is a period in the number system?
A period is a group of digits in a large number, separated by commas, to make it easier to read and understand. For example, in the number 12,345,678, the digits '678', '345', and '12' each form a period. Both the Indian and International numbering systems use periods, but they group the digits differently.
2. How are periods used to write large numbers in the Indian system?
In the Indian number system, the first period from the right (the 'Ones' period) has three places. After that, all subsequent periods like Thousands, Lakhs, and Crores have two places each. Commas are placed accordingly (3, 2, 2, ...). For example, the number 45,12,78,901 is read as “forty-five crore, twelve lakh, seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred one.”
3. How do periods in the International number system work?
In the International number system, every period consists of exactly three digits when moving from right to left. The main periods are named Ones, Thousands, Millions, and Billions. For example, the number 451,278,901 is grouped with commas after every three digits and read as “four hundred fifty-one million, two hundred seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred one.”
4. What is the difference between a digit's period, place, and place value?
These three concepts are crucial for understanding numbers but are distinct. Let's use the number 7,45,630 as an example in the Indian system:
- Period: It is the group the digit belongs to. The digit '4' is in the Lakhs period.
- Place: It is the specific position of the digit. The digit '4' is in the Lakhs place.
- Place Value: It is the value the digit represents. The place value of '4' is 4,00,000.
5. Can you show with an example how the same number is grouped into periods differently in both systems?
Certainly. Let's take the number 876543210.
- In the Indian System, we group it as 87,65,43,210. The periods are Crores (87), Lakhs (65), Thousands (43), and Ones (210).
- In the International System, we group it as 876,543,210. The periods are Millions (876), Thousands (543), and Ones (210).
6. Why do the Indian and International systems use different periods for grouping numbers?
The difference arises from historical and linguistic conventions. The Indian system is based on vernacular terms like Lakh (one hundred thousand) and Crore (ten million), which are widely used in finance and daily life across South Asia. The International system, used globally in science and finance, is based on powers of a thousand (1,000, 1,000,000, etc.), making it mathematically consistent for very large numbers.
7. How do periods help in reading a number like 25678945 out loud correctly?
Periods act as a guide for pronunciation. First, you insert commas to define the periods:
- Indian System: 2,56,78,945. You read the number in each period followed by the period's name: “Two crore, fifty-six lakh, seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred forty-five.”
- International System: 25,678,945. You read it as: “Twenty-five million, six hundred seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred forty-five.”
8. What are the names of the first four periods in the Indian and International number systems?
The names of the first four periods, starting from the right, are:
- Indian System: Ones, Thousands, Lakhs, and Crores.
- International System: Ones, Thousands, Millions, and Billions.











