Amount in Words (Tafqit)

Tafqit is the practice of writing an amount in words beside its figures on cheques and formal invoices across most Arab countries. The purpose is tamper resistance: a digit gains a zero and the meaning changes, while a sentence spelled out in words cannot be altered by a single character.

Standard tafqit structure

A formal tafqit follows a fixed pattern: the integer part (thousands, hundreds, tens, units) + the major-unit currency name + the decimal part + the sub-unit name + the legal closer 'فقط لا غير'.

Worked example

Amount: 1,234.56 UAE dirhams:

1. Whole part: ألف ومئتان وأربعة وثلاثون
2. Currency name, inflected: درهماً إماراتياً
3. Fraction: ستة وخمسون
4. Subunit name: فلساً
5. Full sentence: ألف ومئتان وأربعة وثلاثون درهماً إماراتياً وستة وخمسون فلساً فقط لا غير

The subunit name changes with the currency — that is where errors happen

• UAE dirham: fils, one hundredth
• Kuwaiti and Bahraini dinar: fils, one thousandth — not one hundredth
• Omani currency: baisa, one thousandth
• Egyptian pound: piastre, one hundredth
• Dollar and euro: cent, one hundredth

When you need it

• Writing the cheque amount in words, as banks across most Arab countries require
• Invoices and contracts that carry amounts in both figures and words
• Receipt vouchers, payment vouchers and settlement letters
• Cross-border documents where the currency must be named, not abbreviated