Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers in English

Introduction

This page offers a list of ordinal and cardinal numbers and how to use them in writing.

Let’s start with understanding the difference between ordinal and cardinal numbers!

Ordinal Vs. Cardinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers show the order or position of things, like “first,” “second,” or “third.” Cardinal numbers tell us how many things there are, like “one,” “two,” or “three.”

Vocabulary: Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers

Let’s start with the cardinal numbers:

Cardinal Numbers:

Numbers from One to Ten

Symbol	Word
0	Naught/Zero
1	One
2	Two
3	Three
4	Four
5	Five
6	Six
7	Seven
8	Eight
9	Nine
10	Ten

Numbers from Eleven to Twenty-nine

Symbol	Word
10	Ten
11	Eleven
12	Twelve
13	Thirteen
14	Fourteen
15	Fifteen
16	Sixteen
17	Seventeen
18	Eighteen
19	Nineteen
20	Twenty
21	Twenty-one
22	Twenty-two
23	Twenty-three
24	Twenty-four
25	Twenty-five
26	Twenty-six
27	Twenty-seven
28	Twenty-eight
29	Twenty-nine

Numbers from Thirty to Ninety-nine

Symbol	Word
30	Thirty
31	Thirty-one
40	Forty
41	Forty-one
50	Fifty
51	Fifty-one
60	Sixty
61	Sixty-one
70	Seventy
71	Seventy-one
80	Eighty
81	Eighty-one
90	Ninety
91	Ninety-one

Numbers from a Hundred to a Thousand

Symbol	Word
100	A hundred
101	A hundred and one
200	Two hundred
201	Two hundred and one
300	Three hundred
301	Three hundred and one
400	Four hundred
401	Four hundred and one
500	Five hundred
501	Five hundred and one
600	Six hundred
601	Six hundred and one
700	Seven hundred
701	Seven hundred and one
800	Eight hundred
801	Eight hundred and one
900	Nine hundred
901	Nine hundred and one
1000	A thousand

Ordinal Numbers – Used For Ranking:

In figures	In words
1st	The first
2nd	The second
3rd	The third
4th	The fourth
5th	The fifth
6th	The sixth
7th	The seventh
8th	The eighth
9th	The ninth
10th	The tenth
11th	The eleventh
12th	The twelfth
13th	The thirteenth
14th	The fourteenth
15th	The fifteenth
16th	The sixteenth
17th	The seventeenth
18th	The eighteenth
19th	The nineteenth
20th	The twentieth
21st	The twenty-first
30th	The thirtieth
40th	The fortieth
50th	The fiftieth
60th	The sixtieth
70th	The seventieth
80th	The eightieth
90th	The ninetieth

These tables provide a comprehensive guide to both cardinal and ordinal numbers in English.

When to Use Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers

Use ordinal numbers when you want to talk about the order or rank of things, such as “My birthday is on the fifteenth of June.” Use cardinal numbers when you want to say how many things there are, like “I have three apples.”

Writing Dates Using Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers

When writing dates, use ordinal numbers to show the day of the month, like “June 15th.” For the year and month, use cardinal numbers, like “2024.” So, a complete date might look like “June 15th, 2024.”

One can also use cardinal numbers in dates, especially when writing them in a more formal or concise manner. For example, instead of writing “June 15th,” you can simply write “June 15” using the cardinal number.

Similarly, for years, you would typically use cardinal numbers, like “2024”.

So, while ordinal numbers are common for specifying the day of the month, cardinal numbers can also be used in dates for brevity and clarity.

Things to Remember about Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers

Here are important things to remember about ordinal and cardinal numbers:

Ordinal Numbers:

• Indicate the order or position of things (e.g., first, second, third).
• Used when talking about dates, ranks, or sequences.
• Often end with “st,” “nd,” “rd,” or “th” (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th).

Cardinal Numbers:

• Represent the quantity or number of things (e.g., one, two, three).
• Used when counting objects or expressing quantities.
• Do not have specific endings like ordinal numbers.

Usage:

• Use ordinal numbers for dates (e.g., June 15th) and rankings (e.g., third place).
• Use cardinal numbers for counting items (e.g., three apples) and stating quantities (e.g., 2024).

Writing Dates:

• Dates typically use ordinal numbers for the day (e.g., June 15th) and cardinal numbers for the year (e.g., 2024).

Clarity and Formality:

• Ordinal numbers provide specificity and order.
• Cardinal numbers offer brevity and simplicity, especially in formal writing.

Related Pages

• Listen to some interesting facts about numbers.
• Idiomatic expressions used with numbers.