Ordinal Numbers in Words: First to One Thousandth

Published March 9, 2026 · 8 min read

Ordinal numbers tell you the position or rank of something in a sequence: first, second, third, fourth, and so on. While cardinal numbers answer "how many?" (three, twelve, one hundred), ordinal numbers answer "which one?" (third, twelfth, one hundredth). Getting ordinal numbers right in English requires knowing a handful of rules and a modest list of exceptions.

The Basic Rules for Forming Ordinals

English ordinal numbers follow predictable patterns with a few important exceptions:

Rule 1: Most Numbers Add "-th"

The default suffix for ordinal numbers is -th. Fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth. When in doubt, "-th" is almost always correct.

Rule 2: The Three Exceptions

The first three ordinal numbers are completely irregular and must be memorized:

• 1 → first (not "oneth")
• 2 → second (not "twoth")
• 3 → third (not "threeth")

Rule 3: Numbers Ending in "y" Change to "-ieth"

For multiples of ten (twenty, thirty, forty, etc.), drop the "y" and add "-ieth":

• 20 → twentieth
• 30 → thirtieth
• 50 → fiftieth
• 90 → ninetieth

Rule 4: Compound Numbers Only Change the Last Word

For compound numbers like twenty-one or fifty-three, only the last part becomes ordinal:

• 21 → twenty-first
• 42 → forty-second
• 53 → fifty-third
• 99 → ninety-ninth

Rule 5: Spelling Changes for Five, Eight, Nine, and Twelve

• 5 → fifth (not "fiveth")
• 8 → eighth (not "eightth" — drop one "t")
• 9 → ninth (not "nineth" — drop the "e")
• 12 → twelfth (the "v" changes to "f")

Ordinal Numbers 1 to 100

Here is the complete list of ordinal numbers from first to one hundredth:

Ordinal Numbers Beyond 100

The same rules continue for larger numbers. Only the final component becomes ordinal:

Abbreviation Rules

Ordinal abbreviations combine the numeral with the last two letters of the written word. There are only four possible suffixes:

• -st for numbers ending in 1 (except 11): 1st, 21st, 31st, 101st
• -nd for numbers ending in 2 (except 12): 2nd, 22nd, 32nd, 102nd
• -rd for numbers ending in 3 (except 13): 3rd, 23rd, 33rd, 103rd
• -th for everything else: 4th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 100th

The "teen" exception is important: 11th, 12th, and 13th all use "-th" even though 1, 2, and 3 normally use -st, -nd, and -rd. This is because they are pronounced "eleventh," "twelfth," and "thirteenth."

When to Use Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers appear in many everyday contexts:

Dates

In American English, dates are typically written as "March 9, 2026" (cardinal) in text, but spoken as "March ninth." In British English, both writing and speech use ordinals: "the 9th of March" or "the ninth of March." When writing formal invitations, ordinals are standard: "the twenty-first of June."

Rankings and Positions

Sports results, competition placements, and rankings all use ordinals: "She finished third in the race," "He graduated first in his class," "The team dropped to twenty-second place."

Street Names

Many cities use ordinal numbers for street names: Fifth Avenue, Forty-second Street, Third Boulevard. In addresses, abbreviations are common: 5th Ave, 42nd St.

Fractions

Ordinal words double as fraction names in English: one-third (1/3), two-fifths (2/5), seven-eighths (7/8). The only exception is "half" for 1/2, which has its own word.

Centuries and Monarchs

Centuries use ordinals: the twenty-first century, the nineteenth century. Royal names use Roman numerals with ordinal pronunciation: Henry VIII ("Henry the Eighth"), Elizabeth II ("Elizabeth the Second").

Floors and Levels

Building floors are ordinal: the third floor, the forty-second floor. In British English, "ground floor" is the entry level, and what Americans call the "second floor" is the "first floor."

Ordinal Numbers in Other Languages

If you work with multiple languages, note that ordinal rules vary significantly:

• Spanish: primero, segundo, tercero... After tenth (décimo), cardinal numbers are commonly used instead of ordinals in everyday speech.
• French: premier/première (first) is irregular; all others add "-ième": deuxième, troisième, etc.
• German: Add "-te" (up to 19th) or "-ste" (20th and above): erste, zweite, dritte, vierte...
• Dutch: Add "-de" or "-ste": eerste, tweede, derde, vierde...

Our site supports many of these languages. Switch to your preferred language using the language selector at the top of any page.

Converting Cardinal to Ordinal Numbers

Use our number-to-words converter to see any cardinal number written in words, then apply the ordinal rules from this article. For example, convert 347 to "three hundred forty-seven" and then form the ordinal: "three hundred forty-seventh" (347th).

For rules on when to spell out numbers versus using digits in formal writing, see our guide on numbers in legal documents.