Ordinal numbers chart
Ordinal numbers tell the position of something in order: first, second, third. Written with numerals they end in st, nd, rd or th, so 1st is first and 4th is fourth. This chart runs from 1st to 20th, then shows the pattern to 100th.
Free printable PDF, Kindergarten to 2nd grade.
One page, black and white, prints the same every time.
What is on the sheet
1st to 20th
| Number | Word |
|---|---|
| 1st | first |
| 2nd | second |
| 3rd | third |
| 4th | fourth |
| 5th | fifth |
| 6th | sixth |
| 7th | seventh |
| 8th | eighth |
| 9th | ninth |
| 10th | tenth |
| 11th | eleventh |
| 12th | twelfth |
| 13th | thirteenth |
| 14th | fourteenth |
| 15th | fifteenth |
| 16th | sixteenth |
| 17th | seventeenth |
| 18th | eighteenth |
| 19th | nineteenth |
| 20th | twentieth |
Past 20th
| Number | Word |
|---|---|
| 21st | twenty-first |
| 22nd | twenty-second |
| 23rd | twenty-third |
| 24th | twenty-fourth |
| 30th | thirtieth |
| 40th | fortieth |
| 50th | fiftieth |
| 60th | sixtieth |
| 70th | seventieth |
| 80th | eightieth |
| 90th | ninetieth |
| 100th | one hundredth |
The pattern in the endings
Most ordinal numbers add th: fourth, sixth, tenth. Only three are different, first, second and third, and they come back every time a number ends in 1, 2 or 3: 21st, 32nd, 43rd. The exception to the exception is the teens. Eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth all take th, so it is 11th, 12th and 13th, never 11st.
A few words change their spelling. Five becomes fifth and twelve becomes twelfth, with an f where the v was. Nine loses its e in ninth, and eight only adds an h. The tens turn y into ie, so twenty becomes twentieth.
Using the chart
Line children up and ask who is third, or put five toys in a row and ask which one is fifth. Calendar time uses ordinals every day: the date is said "October 15th" even when it is written 15. Kindergarten children use first to fifth for position, and by 1st and 2nd grade they read and write them to twentieth and beyond.
Common questions
- What is the difference between ordinal and cardinal numbers?
- Cardinal numbers count how many: one, two, three. Ordinal numbers give a position: first, second, third. Five apples is cardinal; the fifth apple is ordinal.
- Why is it 22nd and not 22th?
- The ending follows the last word you say. Twenty-second ends in second, so it is written 22nd. The same goes for 31st and 53rd.