K Abbreviation for Thousand
“K” is a documented written abbreviation for thousand in Business English and is also used informally with money amounts. Because K has other meanings in other fields, context should make the intended numerical meaning clear.
In business and money contexts, “K” can mean one thousand: for example, 75K means 75,000. Keep the form consistent and avoid it where the audience could confuse K with another technical meaning.
Key details
Important caveats
Clarity Boundary
K has other documented meanings, including technical abbreviations, so use enough context to prevent ambiguity.
Further guidance
Documented Form
Cambridge Business English lists “K” as a written abbreviation for thousand.
Money Use
Cambridge also records informal K for 1,000, especially pounds, dollars, and similar amounts.
Practical Application
Use K for thousand only where the audience and context make the numerical meaning obvious, and keep the notation consistent across comparable figures. Spell out or use full numerals when K could be confused with a technical symbol or another abbreviation.
Reader Check
Would a reader in this document reasonably read K as one thousand without needing domain-specific inference?
Worked Example
A compact sales dashboard can show “75K” for 75,000 when that convention is established; a scientific or cross-domain document should prefer an unambiguous form if K could mean something else.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- K, k — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Business English K as a written abbreviation for thousand; informal money use also documented