ChanteSez … Keep it 100

I like the saying “Keep it 100.” Since it’s a reference to “100 percent,” let’s talk about using “percent” in your writing.

• Always spell out “percent.”
• Exception: headlines or titles, where it’s OK to use the % symbol.
• If you’re comparing percentages, always use “percent” after both figures. For example, “The business has seen an increase of between 40 percent and 50 percent compared to last year.”
• Speaking of figures, always use numerals when pairing them with “percent” — even when they’re single digits. For example, “She decreased the errors in her writing by 8 percent after reading ChanteSez every week.”