How do I write consecutive numbers?

Question

Today I wrote the sentence: >The supplied definition defines 24 16-bit words per subframe, and ... I know the recipient will understand the terminology. I'm concerned about writing the phrase "24 16-bit words". It almost reads as "2416-bit words". The only alternative I can think of is wordy and flows poorly: >The supplied definition defines 24 words per subframe, each 16 bits wide, and ... I'm of the mind that "sixteen-bit" is not immediately recognisable, and expressing a quantity, especially of 10 or more, is generally best done in numerals. Is this the best way to write it or is there a better alternative?

Answer 1

This is a common problem when writing numbers that are not separated by a comma. Using a combination of numerical figures and words help avoid confusion without becoming too wordy. Here are some examples:

If the number is at the beginning of the sentence, write out the first number: "Twenty-four 16-bit words per subframe..."

If the number is not at the beginning of the sentence, one number can be written out, and the other kept in numerical format: "...24 sixteen-bit words per subframe..." or "...twenty-four 16-bit words per subframe..."

Hyphenate all written numbers between 21 and 99 that have two words. Ex.: seventy-six, thirty-five, eighty-two, forty-four, one hundred and fifty-nine.