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Ordinal numbers in English: first, second, third (chart)

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 11 October 2026

Ordinal numbers put things in order: the first day, the second time, the third floor. The first three are words of their own. After that, most add -th: fourth, sixth, tenth. A few change their spelling, and those are the ones to learn.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

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Number or ordinal? Pick the word that fits.

  1. I have brothers. (3)

  2. We live on the floor. (3)

  3. This is my time here. (1)

For the counting numbers (one, two, twenty-one), see numbers in English.

The chart: first to twentieth

The ending is coloured. A highlighted part with an underline is a spelling change.

-th (or the letters 1st 2nd 3rd borrow)changed spellingWhat do the colours mean?
FigureWordFigureWord
1st11theleventh
2nd12thtwelfth
3rd13ththirteenth
4th14thfourteenth
5th15thfifteenth
6thsixth16thsixteenth
7thseventh17thseventeenth
8theighth18theighteenth
9thninth19thnineteenth
10thtenth20thtwentieth

In figures, the last two letters of the word follow the number: 1st (first), 2nd (second), 3rd (third), 4th.

First, second, third: their own words

The first three do not use -th. Learn them as words. Their coloured letters are not a real ending: they are just the letters the figures borrow (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

  • : This is my first time in London. (I have never been before.)
  • : Take the second street on the left. (not the first one)
  • : She came third in the race. (two people were faster)

The spellings that catch everyone

Most ordinals are the number plus -th: four, fourth; six, sixth. Five numbers change.

five becomes fif: fifth
NumberOrdinalWhat changes
ve f
eighth h: t
ninth e
twelfthve f
twentiethy ie
  • Today is the fifth of June. (5 June)
  • It is my ninth day here. (day 9)
  • Her twelfth birthday is on Friday. (she will be 12)

All the tens work like twenty: thirtieth, fortieth, fiftieth.

Big ordinals: only the last word changes

In a bigger number, everything stays a normal number except the last word.

only the last word becomes an ordinal
FigureWord
21st-
22nd-
23rd-
32nd-
100thhundredth
103rd

But 11th, 12th and 13th end in -th, because eleven, twelve and thirteen are words of their own: the 11th floor (eleventh), the 12th day (twelfth). Compare the 21st floor (twenty-first).

When to use ordinals

UseExample
He was the first to arrive.
We live on the third floor.
My birthday is on the fifth of May.
the twenty-first century (2001-2100)
fractionsa third of the cake (1/3)

A normal number counts how many: three floors (the building has three). An ordinal says which one: the third floor (one floor, number three). For dates in full, see days, months and seasons.

British floors start at the ground floor; the floor above is the first floor. In American English the ground floor is the first floor.

Common mistakes

WrongRightWhy
ninethninth e
eighttheighth t
fivethfifthve f
twelvethtwelfthve f
twenty-onethtwenty-first
the 11st floorthe 11th flooreleventh -th
three floorthird floor : ordinal

What to do next

  1. Say the floors of a building you know: ground floor, first floor...
  2. Do the drills below.
  3. Next: how to say years.

Practise: test yourself

Matching

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Match each ordinal to its figure.

Build the word

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Build the ordinal from its pieces. Watch the spelling.

  1. 5 (five)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. 8 (eight)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. 9 (nine)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. 12 (twelve)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  5. 20 (twenty)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  6. 21 (twenty-one)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Pick the right one

0/5

Number or ordinal? Pick the word that fits.

  1. I have brothers. (3)

  2. We live on the floor. (3)

  3. This is my time here. (1)

  4. She is years old. (5)

  5. It is his birthday. (10)

Spot the mistake

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Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the ordinal numbers in English?
The words that give an order: first, second, third, fourth, fifth and so on. They answer the question which one in a line or a list: the first day, the second floor, the third time.
Is it nineth or ninth?
Ninth. Nine drops its e: ninth. In the same way, eight adds only h (eighth), five becomes fif (fifth) and twelve becomes twelf (twelfth). These four are the spellings people get wrong most.
Why is it 21st but 11th?
Because the figure follows the word. Twenty-one ends in one, and one gives first, so 21st. Eleven is its own word and gives eleventh, so 11th. The same for 12th (twelfth) and 13th (thirteenth), but 22nd (twenty-second) and 23rd (twenty-third).
How do you say 21st in English?
Twenty-first. In a big number only the last word becomes an ordinal: twenty-first, thirty-second, a hundred and third. Everything before it stays a normal number.
Do ordinal numbers need the?
Usually, yes: the first time, the third floor, the twenty-first century. In a date, British speakers say the third of May. After a verb like come or finish, English leaves the out: She came first in the race.