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Ordinal numbers indicate the position or rank of something in a sequence. Where cardinal numbers answer "how many" (one, two, three), ordinal numbers answer "which one" or "in what order" (first, second, third). They are essential in everyday British English for expressing dates, positions, addresses, and fractions.
Every ordinal number has two forms: the figure form (1st, 2nd, 3rd) which is used in dates, tables, and lists; and the word form (first, second, third) which is used in formal prose. The choice between them depends on context and the style guide in use.
The suffix applied to an ordinal number depends on the last digit of the number, with one important group of exceptions:
Numbers ending in 11, 12, or 13 always use -th, regardless of the last digit rule. This is because these numbers come from the Old English words "endleofan" (eleven) and "twelf" (twelve), not from one and two. So: 11th, 12th, 13th, 111th, 112th, 113th, 211th, 312th, 413th.
| Number | Figure | Word | Number | Figure | Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st | first | 11 | 11th | eleventh |
| 2 | 2nd | second | 12 | 12th | twelfth |
| 3 | 3rd | third | 13 | 13th | thirteenth |
| 4 | 4th | fourth | 14 | 14th | fourteenth |
| 5 | 5th | fifth | 15 | 15th | fifteenth |
| 6 | 6th | sixth | 20 | 20th | twentieth |
| 7 | 7th | seventh | 21 | 21st | twenty-first |
| 8 | 8th | eighth | 22 | 22nd | twenty-second |
| 9 | 9th | ninth | 30 | 30th | thirtieth |
| 10 | 10th | tenth | 100 | 100th | hundredth |
Several cardinal numbers change their spelling when converted to ordinal words:
British English dates conventionally follow the day-month-year order. Ordinal numbers are used when speaking dates aloud, and often in writing too:
Note: In strictly formal British English, particularly in official documents and legal writing, the ordinal suffix is sometimes omitted when the month name is present: "5 March 2026" rather than "5th March 2026". Both forms are widely accepted.
The choice between figure form (1st) and word form (first) follows these general guidelines:
Style guide note: The Oxford Style Manual and the Guardian Style Guide both recommend spelling out first to ninth in prose, using figures from 10th onwards. Always check your specific publication or institution's style guide.
Ordinal words serve double duty as fraction denominators in English. The denominator of a fraction is expressed as an ordinal: one-third (1/3), two-fifths (2/5), three-quarters (3/4). There are two important exceptions:
When the numerator is greater than one, the denominator becomes plural: two-thirds, three-quarters, four-fifths, seven-eighths.
English also uses Latin-derived ordinal words for ordering in formal, academic, or technical contexts:
Street names with ordinal numbers always use figure form in British and American addresses: 42nd Street, 5th Avenue. In formal British address writing, either "42nd" or "Forty-Second" is acceptable, though the figure form is standard in postal addresses.
In printed text, the suffix letters of ordinal figures are traditionally set in superscript — slightly smaller and raised above the baseline: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th. In HTML, this is achieved with the <sup> tag. In plain text (email, plain documents), simply write 1st, 2nd, 3rd without superscript — this is perfectly acceptable and widely understood.
Negative ordinals are not standard in English. There is no established form for "negative first" or "-1st" in ordinary usage. In contexts where reverse ordering is needed (countdown, reverse ranking), English uses constructions like "last", "second to last", "third from last", or "penultimate" (second to last) rather than negative ordinals.
French ordinals, which sometimes appear in English contexts (particularly in names, titles, or musical terminology), differ from English: 1er/1ère (premier/première), 2ème (deuxième), 3ème (troisième). The French system uses -ième for most numbers, equivalent to the English -th. Understanding this helps when reading bilingual documents or European texts.
11th, 12th, and 13th are always "-th" because these numbers come from the words eleven, twelve, and thirteen — not from one, two, three. The last-digit rule (1st, 2nd, 3rd) is overridden for 11, 12, and 13, and for any number ending in those (111th, 212th, 313th). This is the most common mistake in English ordinal usage.
The ordinal of 21 is 21st, spoken as "twenty-first". Since the last digit is 1 (and 21 does not end in 11), it takes the "-st" suffix. Similarly: 31st (thirty-first), 41st (forty-first), 51st (fifty-first), up to 91st (ninety-first), 101st (one hundred and first).
British English dates follow day-month-year order. In formal writing: "5 March 2026" or "the 5th of March 2026". When speaking: "the fifth of March" or "March the fifth". Numerically: 05/03/2026 (day/month/year). Avoid the American format 03/05/2026 which would mean 3rd May in British English.
Ordinal words function as fraction denominators: one-third (1/3), two-fifths (2/5), three-quarters (3/4). Exceptions: 1/2 = "one-half" (not one-second), 1/4 = "one-quarter" (preferred in British English over one-fourth). When numerators exceed one, denominators become plural: two-thirds, three-fifths, seven-eighths.
Use figures (1st, 2nd) for dates, race results, addresses, tables, and sports. Use words (first, second) in formal prose, academic writing, and always at the start of a sentence. The Oxford Style Manual recommends spelling out first through ninth in continuous text, using figures from 10th onwards. Always follow the relevant style guide for your context.
Superscript means the suffix letters (st, nd, rd, th) are raised and smaller: 1st, 2nd. In printed books and formal typesetting, superscript is traditional. In digital plain text, email, or word processing, simply write 1st, 2nd, 3rd without superscript — this is fully acceptable. In HTML, you can use the sup tag for proper rendering.
In street addresses, ordinal numbers always appear in figure form: 42nd Street, 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor. In British postal addresses, building or floor numbers use ordinals: "3rd floor", "21st Century Business Centre". The word form ("Forty-Second Street") is used in formal literary or historical contexts. For standard addressing, always use the figure form.