Ordinal numbers
Spelling of Ordinal Numbers
Just add -th to the cardinal number:
four - fourth
eleven - eleventh
Exceptions:
one - first | five - fifth | eight - eighth |
two - second | nine - ninth | |
three - third | twelve - twelfth |
In compound ordinal numbers, note that only the last figure is written as an ordinal number:
421st = four hundred and twenty-first
5,111th = five thousand, one hundred and eleventh
Figures
When expressed as figures, the last two letters of the written word are added to the ordinal number:
first = 1st | third = 3rd | twenty-sixth = 26th |
second = 2nd | fourth = 4th | hundred and first = 101st |
Titles
In names for kings and queens ordinal numbers are written in Roman numerals. In spoken English, the definite article is used before the ordinal number:
Charles II Charles the second |
|
Henry VIII Henry the Eighth |
1st first | 20th twentieth |
2nd second | 21st twenty-first |
3rd third | 22nd twenty-second |
4th fourth | 23rd twenty-third |
5th fifth | 24th twenty-fourth |
6th sixth | 25th twenty-fifth |
7th seventh | 26th twenty-sixth |
8th eighth | 27th twenty-seventh |
9th ninth | 28th twenty-eighth |
10th tenth | 29th twenty-ninth |
11th eleventh | 30th thirtieth |
12th twelfth | 40th fortieth |
13th thirteenth | 50th fiftieth |
14th fourteenth | 60th sixtieth |
15th fifteenth | 70th seventieth |
16th sixteenth | 80th eightieth |
17th seventeeth | 90th ninetieth |
18th eighteenth | 100th one hundredth |
19th nineteenth | |