Arabic Numerals vs Eastern Arabic Numerals: A Complete Guide
The fascinating history of two numeral systems both called "Arabic" — which to use, how to type them, and why both matter.
There is a fascinating naming paradox in mathematics: the numerals called "Arabic numerals" in the Western world (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0) are NOT what Arabs themselves call Arabic numerals. Arabs use their own distinct numeral shapes (١, ٢, ٣, ٤, ٥, ٦, ٧, ٨, ٩, ٠) which they call Arabic-Indic numerals. This guide explains both systems, their history, and when to use each.
The Two Numeral Systems
| Value | Western Arabic Numerals | Eastern Arabic (Arabic-Indic) |
|---|---|---|
| Zero | 0 | ٠ |
| One | 1 | ١ |
| Two | 2 | ٢ |
| Three | 3 | ٣ |
| Four | 4 | ٤ |
| Five | 5 | ٥ |
| Six | 6 | ٦ |
| Seven | 7 | ٧ |
| Eight | 8 | ٨ |
| Nine | 9 | ٩ |
The Historical Journey of Numerals
Origin in India
Both numeral systems ultimately trace back to ancient India. Brahmi numerals, developed in India around 300 BCE, had positional notation (place value) and included zero — revolutionary mathematical concepts that didn't exist in Roman or Greek number systems.
Transmission to the Arab World
Arab mathematicians encountered Indian numerals through contact with Indian scholars during the Islamic Golden Age. The astronomer Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (whose name gives us "algorithm") wrote a treaty on Indian numerals in the 9th century CE. Arab scholars adapted the Indian forms into what became the Arabic-Indic numerals (١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩٠) still used in the Arab world today.
Transmission to Europe
European scholars encountered the Arabic numeral system through Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) and through the Crusades and Mediterranean trade. The Italian mathematician Fibonacci was particularly important — after studying with Arabic mathematicians in North Africa, he wrote "Liber Abaci" (1202 CE) which introduced the numeral system to Europe. The European adaptation of Arabic-Indic numerals produced what we now call "Western Arabic numerals" (1234567890).
Modern Usage: Which to Use?
| Context | Recommended Numeral System |
|---|---|
| Formal Arabic documents in Gulf countries | Eastern Arabic (Arabic-Indic: ١٢٣٤) |
| Science and technical publications | Western Arabic (1234) — international standard |
| Arabic newspapers (most) | Western Arabic (1234) — for accessibility |
| Quran and Islamic texts | Eastern Arabic (Arabic-Indic: ١٢٣٤) |
| Saudi government documents | Eastern Arabic (official standard) |
| Egyptian publications | Mixed (both used contextually) |
| Money and prices in Arab world | Western Arabic increasingly dominant |
| Social media and informal writing | Western Arabic (most common) |
Regional Variation in Arabic Numeral Choice
Different Arab countries have different conventions:
- Gulf Countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar): Official documents use Eastern Arabic numerals; everyday life increasingly uses Western Arabic.
- Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco: Predominantly use Western Arabic numerals in print and online content, with Eastern Arabic in religious contexts.
- Iraq: Mix of both, with Eastern Arabic preferred in formal government contexts.
- Morocco (Numeric): Predominantly Western Arabic numerals even in formal Arabic text, due to French colonial influence.
How to Type Eastern Arabic Numerals
Eastern Arabic numerals are Unicode characters and can be typed several ways:
Method 1: Use Our Arabic Keyboard
Our Arabic Keyboard includes Eastern Arabic numerals in the number panel. Click any Eastern Arabic numeral to insert it.
Method 2: Windows Arabic Keyboard
When using the Arabic (101) keyboard layout on Windows, the number row keys produce Eastern Arabic numerals by default:
- Number row 1-9, 0 → ١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩٠
Method 3: Unicode Direct Entry
You can type Eastern Arabic numerals using their Unicode code points:
| Numeral | Unicode |
|---|---|
| ٠ (zero) | U+0660 |
| ١ (one) | U+0661 |
| ٩ (nine) | U+0669 |
⌨ Type Eastern Arabic Numerals Online
Our keyboard includes all Eastern Arabic numerals for easy insertion.
Open Arabic KeyboardFrequently Asked Questions
Both systems originated in India and were transmitted to Arabs. Arabs adapted one form (Arabic-Indic numerals ١٢٣٤) for their own use, while the Western world received a different, parallel transmission of Indian numerals through Arabs and modified them further into today's Western Arabic numerals (1234). The Western world named them "Arabic" because they received them from Arab scholars.
Perso-Arabic or Extended Arabic-Indic numerals are used in Persian (Farsi), Dari, and Pashto. They share most forms with Arabic-Indic numerals but have slightly different shapes for ٤ (four), ٥ (five), and ٦ (six). They use Unicode range U+06F0–U+06F9 (as opposed to Arabic-Indic's U+0660–U+0669).
It depends on the context and country. For Gulf government official documents, Eastern Arabic numerals are the standard. For most other modern Arabic publishing (newspapers, websites, informal writing), Western Arabic numerals (1234) are widely accepted and often preferred. When in doubt, follow the convention of the specific organization, publication, or country you are writing for.