Why is the number written as three-fourths? We use a hyphen to distinguish a fraction from a ratio. For example, "The ratio of girls to boys in a class is 3 to 4." This ratio is written a 3 to 4, or 3:4. We do not know how many students are in the whole class. However, the fraction is written as three-fourths (with a hyphen) because 3 is 3/4 of one whole. Thus a ratio names a relationship, whereas, a fraction names a number that represents the part of a whole. When writing a fraction, a hyphen is always used.
It is important to note that other shapes besides a circle can be divided in equal parts. For example, we can let a rectangle represent one whole, and then divide it into equal parts as shown below.