Ordinal Numbers in English: First, Second and Third, with Pronunciation (PDF)
Ordinal numbers are the words that show order, like first, second and third. Here are the English ordinal numbers from first to hundredth with their Arabic meanings, the short forms 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the easy rule for making them, and a printable chart of the days of the month.
- Suitable age
- 6 to 9 years
- Suggested time
- 10 minutes a day
- tell a cardinal number (one) from an ordinal (first).
- say the ordinal numbers from first to tenth.
- read the short forms 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
- say their birthday in English, like: the fifth of May.
What’s the Difference Between a Number and an Ordinal Number?
| Cardinal number | Ordinal number | |
|---|---|---|
| What does it tell us? | How many things are there? | Where is the thing in the order? |
| Example | one, two, three | first, second, third |
| In a sentence | I have two books. | This is my second book. |
And the sentence children love in every race and game:
Ordinal Numbers from 1 to 10
| Number | In English | Short form | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | first | 1st | الأول |
| 2 | second | 2nd | الثاني |
| 3 | third | 3rd | الثالث |
| 4 | fourth | 4th | الرابع |
| 5 | fifth | 5th | الخامس |
| 6 | sixth | 6th | السادس |
| 7 | seventh | 7th | السابع |
| 8 | eighth | 8th | الثامن |
| 9 | ninth | 9th | التاسع |
| 10 | tenth | 10th | العاشر |
The Easy Rule: Add th
Most ordinal numbers are made by adding th to the end of the number: four → fourth, and six → sixth. There are a few exceptions:
| Number | Ordinal | What changed? |
|---|---|---|
| one, two, three | first, second, third | Special words, learned as they are. |
| five, twelve | fifth, twelfth | ve becomes f. |
| eight | eighth | Just add h, because the word already ends in t. |
| nine | ninth | Drop the e. |
| twenty, thirty… | twentieth, thirtieth… | y becomes ie, then add th. |
Ordinal Numbers from 11 to 20
| Number | In English | Short form | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | eleventh | 11th | الحادي عشر |
| 12 | twelfth | 12th | الثاني عشر |
| 13 | thirteenth | 13th | الثالث عشر |
| 14 | fourteenth | 14th | الرابع عشر |
| 15 | fifteenth | 15th | الخامس عشر |
| 16 | sixteenth | 16th | السادس عشر |
| 17 | seventeenth | 17th | السابع عشر |
| 18 | eighteenth | 18th | الثامن عشر |
| 19 | nineteenth | 19th | التاسع عشر |
| 20 | twentieth | 20th | العشرون |
The Tens up to a Hundred
| Number | In English | Short form | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | thirtieth | 30th | الثلاثون |
| 40 | fortieth | 40th | الأربعون |
| 50 | fiftieth | 50th | الخمسون |
| 60 | sixtieth | 60th | الستون |
| 70 | seventieth | 70th | السبعون |
| 80 | eightieth | 80th | الثمانون |
| 90 | ninetieth | 90th | التسعون |
| 100 | hundredth | 100th | المئة |
Numbers between the tens: write the tens as a normal number and make only the ones ordinal. For example: 21st = twenty-first, 32nd = thirty-second and 45th = forty-fifth.
How Do We Write the Short Form?
Write the number, then the last two letters of the word:
Where Do Children Use Ordinal Numbers?
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| Races and turns | I’m first! You’re second. |
| School grade | I’m in first grade. |
| Floors | We live on the third floor. |
| Dates | My birthday is on the fifth of May. |
Download the File
An Activity: The Toy Queue
- Your child lines up five toys in a queue.
- They point to each toy and say its place: The bear is first. The car is second.
- Change the order of the toys and ask: Who is third?
- Finally, ask about their birthday and help them say it in English.
For cardinal numbers from 1 to 100: Numbers 1 to 100 in English. And for the names of the months: Days, Months and Seasons.
Line up 3 toys and ask: Which is first? Which is second? Then let your child arrange them and say it.
A race in the playground, then: Who is first? Each child says their place in English.
Summary
- An ordinal number shows a place in order: first, second, third.
- Most ordinal numbers just add th, like fourth and sixth.
- Three special words must be learned: first, second and third.
- The short form takes the last two letters of the word: 1st from first, 2nd from second.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between one and first?
one is a cardinal number used for counting: one apple. first is an ordinal number used for order: the first day.
Why do we write 11th, 12th and 13th, not 11st, 12nd and 13rd?
Because the words themselves end in th: eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth. But 21st, 22nd and 23rd end in st, nd and rd, because their words are twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third.
How do I write the date in English?
In British English we say the fifth of May and write 5th May. In American English we say May fifth and write May 5th.
