Chapter 6 of 6

All 6 chapters
  1. 1Hundreds, tens and ones, readunderstood
  2. 2Thousands, readunderstood
  3. 3Counting on in big steps, readunderstood
  4. 4Comparing and ordering, readunderstood
  5. 5Rounding and estimating, readunderstood
  6. 6Up to a million, and lakhs, readunderstood

M2.1.6 Chapter 6

Up to a million, and lakhs

What comes after 99 999? And what is a lakh?

Your guess

Pick one before you read on. It is fine to be wrong.

Your guess

  • You picked A. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

  • You picked B. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

  • You picked C. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

By the end you can

  • Read and write numbers up to 1 000 000
  • Say 100 000 as a hundred thousand or as one lakh
  • Say 1 000 000 as one million or as ten lakh

You can count to 9 999. After it comes 10 000. The numbers keep growing.

The biggest number with five digits is 99 999. Add 1 and watch.

Two place value charts with the same headings: thousands and ones, with 100s, 10s and 1s under each. The top chart shows 99 999, with its first box empty. The label add 1 is between the charts. The bottom chart shows 100 000.thousandsones100s10s1s100s10s1s99999add 1thousandsones100s10s1s100s10s1s100000
Every 9 becomes 0. A 1 appears in the next place on the left.

100 000 is a hundred thousand. In India and nearby, people also say one lakh.

Both words mean 100 000. Ten lakh is 1 000 000, which is one million.

Draw it first

Climb to a million

  1. A grid of 10 rows of 10 squares. Step 1 shades one square, with the label one square is 10 000. Step 2 shades the top row, with the labels one row is 100 000 and that is one lakh. Step 3 shades all 10 rows, with the labels all 10 rows: 1 000 000 and one million, or ten lakh.one square is 10 000

    1 Each square is 10 000. Look at one square.

  2. A grid of 10 rows of 10 squares. Step 1 shades one square, with the label one square is 10 000. Step 2 shades the top row, with the labels one row is 100 000 and that is one lakh. Step 3 shades all 10 rows, with the labels all 10 rows: 1 000 000 and one million, or ten lakh.one row is 100 000that is one lakh

    2 Ten squares make a row. A row is 100 000, which is one lakh.

  3. A grid of 10 rows of 10 squares. Step 1 shades one square, with the label one square is 10 000. Step 2 shades the top row, with the labels one row is 100 000 and that is one lakh. Step 3 shades all 10 rows, with the labels all 10 rows: 1 000 000 and one million, or ten lakh.all 10 rows: 1 000 000one million, or ten lakh

    3 Ten rows make 100 squares. That is 1 000 000, one million or ten lakh.

A million is a thousand thousands. There are 1 000 thousands in 1 000 000.

To read a big number, split it in two. Say the left part, then thousand. Then say the right part.

A place value chart showing 408 060 under the headings thousands, ones, 100s, 10s and 1s.thousandsones100s10s1s100s10s1s408060
Left part: 408 thousand. Right part: 060, which is sixty.

Worked example

Write four hundred twelve thousand, six hundred nine in digits.

  1. Four hundred twelve is 412. Then comes thousand, so write 412 first.
  2. Six hundred nine has no tens. Write 609 with a 0 in the tens place.
  3. Put them together: 412 609.

Answer: 412 609

Big numbers are hard to read with no breaks. So we leave a gap, or use commas.

This book uses a small space. A million is 1 000 000.

Many places write 1,000,000. Some places write 1.000.000.

In India and nearby, the last three digits stand alone. The rest go in twos.

So one lakh is 1,00,000. Ten lakh is 10,00,000. These are the same numbers as 100 000 and 1 000 000.

Four ways to write one million. 1 000 000 is this book. 1,000,000 is many places. 10,00,000 is India and nearby. 1.000.000 is some places.1 000 000this book1,000,000many places10,00,000India and nearby1.000.000some places
Four ways to write the same number. The gaps only help your eye.

See it three ways

With things

Think of 10 sacks. Each sack holds 100 000 seeds, or one lakh. Pour them all together.

As a picture

Ten dots in two rows of five. Under them are two labels: each dot: 1 lakh = 100 000, and 10 dots: 10 lakh = 1 000 000.each dot: 1 lakh = 100 00010 dots: 10 lakh = 1 000 000

In symbols

10 × 100 000 = 1 000 000. So ten lakh is one million.

How big is a million? Count one number each second, without stopping.

Counting to a million takes more than 11 days, day and night.

Try it

Write your way up to a million

You need: paper, a pencil.

  1. Write 1 000. Say it: one thousand.
  2. Add one zero: 10 000. Say it: ten thousand.
  3. Add another zero: 100 000. Say it: a hundred thousand, or one lakh.
  4. Add one more zero: 1 000 000. Say it: one million, or ten lakh.
  5. Look at your last number. Count the zeros.

What you will see: Each new zero makes the number ten times bigger. A million is a 1 with six zeros.

If you cannot try it, this is what happens.
A list of numbers and how to say them. 1 000: one thousand. 10 000: ten thousand. 100 000: hundred thousand, or one lakh. 1 000 000: one million, or ten lakh.1 000one thousand10 000ten thousand100 000hundred thousandor one lakh1 000 000one millionor ten lakh

A wrong idea many people have

1,00,000 is a different number from 100 000.

Why it feels right: The commas sit in different places, so the numbers look different.

The test that breaks it: Both are a 1 followed by five zeros. Take out every comma and space. The same six digits remain.

What is true: Commas and spaces only help your eye. They do not change the number.

Key words

hundred thousand
the number 100 000.
lakh
another word for a hundred thousand. 1 lakh is 100 000.
million
the number 1 000 000. It is ten lakh.

Back to your guess

The answer is B: A lakh is a hundred thousand. Ten lakh is a million.

One lakh is 100 000, the same number as a hundred thousand. Ten lakh is 1 000 000, one million.

Check yourself

Try each one before you look. A wrong answer tells you where to go next.

  1. Write in digits: seven hundred five thousand, three hundred.

    See the answer

    705 300

    Seven hundred five is 705. Then thousand. Three hundred is 300. Together: 705 300.

  2. How many lakh is 600 000?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. You may think a lakh is 10 000. One lakh is 100 000. 600 000 holds 6 of them, not 60. Try another.

    2. Yes, that is right. One lakh is 100 000. 600 000 is 6 of them.

    3. Not this one. You may have read 600 thousand and swapped thousand for lakh. A lakh is 100 thousand. 600 000 holds only 6 of them. Try another.

    See the answer

    6 lakh

    One lakh is 100 000. 600 000 is 6 of them.

    • If you chose A: You may think a lakh is 10 000. One lakh is 100 000. 600 000 holds 6 of them, not 60.
    • If you chose C: You may have read 600 thousand and swapped thousand for lakh. A lakh is 100 thousand. 600 000 holds only 6 of them.

  3. Write ten lakh in digits.

    See the answer

    1 000 000

    One lakh is 100 000. Ten lakh is 10 × 100 000, which is 1 000 000.

  4. Ravi writes 1,00,000. Amina writes 100 000. Are they different numbers?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. Commas and spaces only help the eye. Take them out and both are a 1 and five zeros. Try another.

    2. Not this one. Here the commas group the digits in twos. Count the zeros. There are five, so it is 100 000, one lakh. Try another.

    3. Yes, that is right. Both are a 1 followed by five zeros. The commas and spaces only help your eye.

    See the answer

    No. They are the same number.

    Both are a 1 followed by five zeros. The commas and spaces only help your eye.

    • If you chose A: Commas and spaces only help the eye. Take them out and both are a 1 and five zeros.
    • If you chose B: Here the commas group the digits in twos. Count the zeros. There are five, so it is 100 000, one lakh.

  5. How many thousands make a million?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. 100 thousands make only 100 000. That is one lakh. Try another.

    2. Yes, that is right. A million is a thousand thousands. 1 000 000 ÷ 1 000 = 1 000.

    3. Not this one. 10 000 thousands would be ten million. That is ten times too many. Try another.

    See the answer

    1 000

    A million is a thousand thousands. 1 000 000 ÷ 1 000 = 1 000.

    • If you chose A: 100 thousands make only 100 000. That is one lakh.
    • If you chose C: 10 000 thousands would be ten million. That is ten times too many.

  6. From an earlier chapter

    Round 8 650 to the nearest 100.

    See the answer

    8 700

    The tens digit is 5. It is 5 or more, so round up. 8 650 becomes 8 700.

  7. What comes after 99 999?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Yes, that is right. 99 999 + 1 = 100 000. Every 9 becomes 0, and a 1 appears in the next place.

    2. Not this one. That is only one more than 9 999. After 99 999 the next place on the left fills. Go to M2.1.3. Try another.

    3. Not this one. That is far too big. 99 999 + 1 only fills one more place. Try another.

    See the answer

    100 000

    99 999 + 1 = 100 000. Every 9 becomes 0, and a 1 appears in the next place.

    • If you chose B: That is only one more than 9 999. After 99 999 the next place on the left fills. Go to M2.1.3.
    • If you chose C: That is far too big. 99 999 + 1 only fills one more place.

  8. How do you say the number in the chart?

    A place value chart showing 260 007 under the headings thousands, ones, 100s, 10s and 1s.thousandsones100s10s1s100s10s1s260007
    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. That is 26 007, which has five digits. The chart has six. Try another.

    2. Not this one. Seventy is 7 tens. The 7 in the chart is in the ones place. Go to M2.1.2. Try another.

    3. Yes, that is right. The left part is 260. Then comes thousand. The right part is 007, which is seven.

    See the answer

    two hundred sixty thousand, seven

    The left part is 260. Then comes thousand. The right part is 007, which is seven.

    • If you chose A: That is 26 007, which has five digits. The chart has six.
    • If you chose B: Seventy is 7 tens. The 7 in the chart is in the ones place. Go to M2.1.2.

  9. How many lakh make a million?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Yes, that is right. One lakh is 100 000. 1 000 000 ÷ 100 000 = 10, so a million is ten lakh.

    2. Not this one. One lakh is 100 000. That is only a tenth of a million. Try another.

    3. Not this one. 100 lakh is 10 000 000, which is ten million. A million is 10 lakh. Try another.

    See the answer

    10 lakh

    One lakh is 100 000. 1 000 000 ÷ 100 000 = 10, so a million is ten lakh.

    • If you chose B: One lakh is 100 000. That is only a tenth of a million.
    • If you chose C: 100 lakh is 10 000 000, which is ten million. A million is 10 lakh.

Keep it

Copy this into your exercise book.

100 000 is a hundred thousand, or one lakh. 1 000 000 is one million, or ten lakh. Spaces and commas only help the eye. The number stays the same.

Draw: Draw a row of 10 squares for 100 000. Draw 10 rows for 1 000 000.

Reading with a child? A short page for the adult: what this chapter teaches and three questions to ask.

No internet tomorrow? Save the whole book as one file (675 KB). It opens on any phone.