diff --git a/Text/ParserCombinators/Parsec/Number.hs b/Text/ParserCombinators/Parsec/Number.hs
--- a/Text/ParserCombinators/Parsec/Number.hs
+++ b/Text/ParserCombinators/Parsec/Number.hs
@@ -48,9 +48,16 @@
 Note that most top-level parsers succeed on a string like \"@1.0e-100@\", but
 only the floating point parsers consume the whole string. The fractional
 parsers stop before the exponent and the integral parsers before the decimal
-point. You may which to check for the end of a string using
-'Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.eof', i.e. @liftM2 const nat eof@.
+point. You may wish to check for the end of a string using
+'Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.eof', i.e. \"@liftM2 const nat eof@\".
 
+The returned values may be inaccurate. 'Int' may overflow. Fractional numbers
+should be accurate as only one division is performed. Floating point numbers
+with decimal exponents may be inaccurate due to using '**'. Rational numbers
+are needed for correct conversions, but large positive or negative exponents
+may be a problem and the class `RealFloat` is needed to check for minimal and
+maximal exponents.
+
 -}
 
 module Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.Number where
@@ -208,6 +215,8 @@
 fractFract :: Fractional f => Integer -> Bool -> CharParser st f
 fractFract i = genFractFract i . fraction
 
+{- | combine the given number before the dot with a parser for the fractional
+part -}
 genFractFract :: Fractional f => Integer -> CharParser st f -> CharParser st f
 genFractFract i = liftM (fromInteger i +)
 
@@ -227,10 +236,13 @@
     ((if requireDigit then many1 else many) baseDigit <?> "fraction")
   <?> "fraction"
 
--- | compute the fraction given by a sequence of digits following the dot
+{- | compute the fraction given by a sequence of digits following the dot.
+Only one division is performed and trailing zeros are ignored. -}
 fractionValue :: Fractional f => Int -> String -> f
-fractionValue base =
-  foldr (\ d -> (/ fromIntegral base) . (+ fromIntegral (digitToInt d))) 0
+fractionValue base = uncurry (/)
+  . foldl (\ (s, p) d ->
+           (p * fromIntegral (digitToInt d) + s, p * fromIntegral base))
+    (0, 1) . dropWhile (== '0') . reverse
 
 -- * integers and naturals
 
diff --git a/parsec-numbers.cabal b/parsec-numbers.cabal
--- a/parsec-numbers.cabal
+++ b/parsec-numbers.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:          parsec-numbers
-version:       0.0.2
+version:       0.0.3
 build-type:    Simple
 cabal-version: >= 1.6
 license:       BSD3