A reader recently asked, "What's the difference between a digit and a number?"
Answer
Good question! The words digit and number can be confusing because they are closely related and often used in the same contexts, as in these examples:
David asked for her phone number and she took out a piece of paper and wrote something. But when she gave it to David, something was missing; there were only six digits.
Please email me your 10-digit confirmation number.
However, digit and number have very distinct meanings.
Digit
A digit is any one of these symbols: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. For example, the number 23 is written with two digits, 2 and 3.
Number
A number is an amount of something. It can be written with one or more – or many – digits. Numbers can also be written with words. A number can also be a series of digits that is used to identify something, such as a phone number, apartment number, or social security number.
