If a promissory note says one amount in words and another in numbers, which one counts?

Generally the words. For notes that qualify as negotiable instruments, the Uniform Commercial Code says words prevail over numbers when they contradict each other, and courts often apply the same rule to other notes. So a note reading two percent in words and 12% in numerals is usually read as two percent. The rule exists because words are harder to alter than digits.

What if typed and handwritten terms conflict?

Handwritten terms usually win over typed ones, and typed terms usually win over preprinted form language. The idea is that the more specific and personal the term, the more likely it reflects what the parties actually agreed. That is why a handwritten change initialed by both sides can override a form clause, and why an unexplained handwritten change on one copy causes disputes.

Can I just cross out the mistake and write the correct number?

Not by yourself. Changing a signed note without the other party agreeing is an alteration. If it is done fraudulently it can discharge the other party's obligation entirely, and even an honest one-sided change creates a dispute about which version is real. If you both agree, you can make the change and both initial and date it next to the correction, but a separate signed correction or amendment is cleaner.

What happens if a blank was left in the note?

An incomplete note can be completed and enforced as completed, but only as the parties actually authorized. If the lender fills in a blank with something the borrower never agreed to, that is treated like an unauthorized alteration. Avoid the problem by striking through or writing N/A in every unused blank before anyone signs.

What if both of us made the same mistake and the other side will not fix it?

Courts can reform a written contract to match the actual agreement when both parties shared the same mistake, such as a typo in the principal that both understood differently at the time. It usually takes clear evidence of what was really agreed: emails, bank transfers, a payment history, or earlier drafts. It is far easier to get both signatures on a correction now than to prove the mistake in court later.

There is a mistake in a signed promissory note: typos, blanks, and numbers that disagree

Fixing a mistake in a signed promissory note

The note's signed, the money's moved, and then someone notices it. The first payment date is in the wrong year. The rate says two percent in words and 12% in the numbers. The late fee line was left blank. None of these kill the note, but each one gets resolved by a specific rule, and the fix most people reach for first, grabbing a pen and correcting the original, is the one that causes trouble.

When the note contradicts itself

For promissory notes that qualify as negotiable instruments, the Uniform Commercial Code settles internal conflicts with a short ranking. Handwritten terms beat typed terms. Typed terms beat preprinted form language. Words beat numbers. Courts frequently apply the same reasoning to notes that aren't technically negotiable, because it matches how people draft: the more specific and deliberate the term, the more likely it's what the parties meant.

So a note that says "two percent" in words and "12%" in figures is normally read at two percent. A note that says "Ten Thousand Dollars" with "$1,000.00" beside it is normally read as $10,000. The rule works in whichever direction the words point, which means the party who expected the numeric figure is often surprised. If you're the lender and the numbers were right, fix it now with a signed correction rather than hoping nobody reads carefully.

Don't correct the original on your own

Changing a signed note without the other party's agreement is an alteration. Under the same body of law, an alteration made fraudulently can discharge the obligation of the person whose promise was changed. A lender who quietly "fixes" a principal amount could lose the right to collect it. Even an honest, one-sided correction leaves two versions of the document and an argument about which one is real. Leave the original as signed.

Create a Promissory Note ($7.99) Modifying a Note

The clean fix: a signed correction

For a typo or a contradiction both of you agree on, write a short correction and have both parties sign and date it:

Identify the note: date signed, names of the lender and borrower, original principal.
Quote the error exactly, including where it appears.
State the correct term, and that it applies as of the original signing date (for a true error) or from a new date (for a change).
Say that every other term stays the same.
Sign, date, and attach it to the original. Notarize it if the original was notarized.

For a single small error, initialing and dating a correction on the original by both parties at the same time can work. A separate document is still cleaner, especially if the note may be sold, assigned, or taken to court later. If what you're fixing is really a change of deal, such as a new rate, a longer term, or a different payment, that's a modification, not a correction. See refinancing or modifying a note.

Blanks left open

An incomplete note can be completed and enforced, but only as the parties actually authorized. If the lender later fills in a late fee, a due date, or an interest rate the borrower never agreed to, the law treats that like an unauthorized alteration. The prevention is easy: before anyone signs, fill every blank or strike it through and write N/A. If a blank is discovered after signing, complete it with a signed correction, not a pen stroke by one side. See how to write a promissory note.

Mistakes that matter less than they look

A misspelled name doesn't void a note if the parties are clearly identified. Correct it anyway so collection and records match.
A wrong date on the signature line rarely changes anything by itself, but a wrong first payment date does. Fix that one.
A missing witness line usually doesn't affect validity unless your state requires witnesses for that kind of note. See notarization and witnesses.
An interest rate above your state cap is not a typo problem. It's a usury problem with its own penalties. See maximum legal interest rates by state.

When the other side won't sign a correction

If you both shared the same mistake, a court can reform the note to match what was actually agreed. That usually takes clear evidence: the emails or texts negotiating the loan, the bank transfer showing the real amount, a payment history consistent with the correct rate, or an earlier draft. Keep all of it. If the dispute is really about which version of the note controls, see who holds the original and whether a promissory note is binding.

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