If you see a four-digit whole number that includes a comma, you should be able to tell that it's a thousands number. This is a greater number (larger number), but thousands numbers get even greater. Some of them can be five or six digits long.
Take a look at this number:
48,315
This number is more than three digits long and includes a comma, so we know that it is a thousands number. Remember how to say a thousands number. First, say the number before the comma, then say "thousand," and then say the rest of the number. In this example, we have 48 before the comma and 315 after it. You would read this number as forty-eight thousand, three-hundred fifteen.
Let's add one more digit. Take a look at this number:
824,076
Again, we say the number before the comma, then "thousand," and then the number after the comma. In this example, 824 is before the comma and 76 is after it. So we would read this number as eight hundred twenty-four thousand, seventy-six.
Here's a thousands number that is missing a comma:
53687
How do you figure out where to add the comma? Start at the right-hand side of the number and find the ones place, the tens place, and the hundreds place (also called the ones column, tens column, and hundreds column). The ones digit is 7. The tens digit is 8. The hundreds digit is 6. So the rest of this number must tell about thousands. We add the comma right after the 3. The number is 53,687.
