100 large numbers — three systems cut the digits differently
The West groups by three, India takes three then twos, East Asia groups by four. That is why “how many 억 is a crore” never sticks. For every meeting of 10 units and 10 multipliers: all three groupings, and the amount converted into each system.
1 crore
- Grouped by three10,000,000
- Indian grouping1,00,00,000
- Grouped by four1000,0000
Why the groupings differ
A separator marks where the language gets a new name. English gains thousand, million, billion every three digits, so it cuts by three. East Asian counting gains 만, 억, 조 every four, so it cuts by four. The rule is not different — the words are.
Only the Indian grouping is uneven
Only the last three digits are taken off; after that it goes in twos. That is because lakh (10⁵) and crore (10⁷) each step up by two digits. Ten million is therefore written 1,00,00,000 rather than 10,000,000. It looks like a misplaced comma at first, but it is the standard across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
East Asia counts in fours
After 만 comes 억, then 조, then 경 — a new name every four digits. But the commas printed on screens are usually in threes, so in Korea, Japan and China the separators and the words fall out of step. Reading 1,000,000,000 as 십억 means ignoring the commas and recounting in fours from the right.
When one value has two names
Arab and billion are both 10⁹; 조 and trillion are both 10¹². The value is the same but the audiences differ, so both names sit side by side here. English billion once meant 10¹² in some countries, but finance and statistics now use 10⁹ everywhere.
Where conversions go wrong
Swapping names without counting digits slips by factors of ten. A crore is 1,000만, not 1억; a billion is 10억, not 1조. The safe move is to compare powers of ten rather than words — which is why every cell here carries its exponent.
Find it by unit and multiplier
Value · Grouped by three
man (万)10^4 · East Asian
lakh10^5 · Indian
million10^6 · Western
crore10^7 · Indian
eok (億)10^8 · East Asian
billion10^9 · Western
arab10^9 · Indian
trillion10^12 · Western
jo (兆)10^12 · East Asian
gyeong (京)10^16 · East Asian
How to read this
- Value = multiplier × a power of ten. Nothing here is stored data.
- The same number is shown cut three ways: by three, Indian style, and by four.
- Changing units only moves the decimal point, so nothing is rounded.
- Compare powers of ten, not names. A crore is 0.1억.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How many 억 is one crore?
0.1억. A crore is ten million while 억 is a hundred million — a factor of ten apart.
Q. How much is one lakh?
One hundred thousand, or 10⁵ — ten times 만.
Q. Why are Indian commas unevenly spaced?
Only the last three digits are taken off; after that it goes in twos, because lakh and crore each step up two digits.
Q. Is a billion 10⁹ or 10¹²?
10⁹. Some countries once used it for 10¹², but finance and statistics now settle on 10⁹.
Q. Why do commas confuse Korean readers?
The words step up every four digits (만, 억, 조) while the printed commas fall every three. Reading means recounting in fours from the right.