CARDINAL and ORDINAL NUMBERS
The cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) are adjectives referring to quantity, and the ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) refer to distribution.
| Number |
Cardinal |
Ordinal |
|
1
|
one
|
first
|
|
2
|
two
|
second
|
|
3
|
three
|
third
|
|
4
|
four
|
fourth
|
|
5
|
five
|
fifth
|
|
6
|
six
|
sixth
|
|
7
|
seven
|
seventh
|
|
8
|
eight
|
eighth
|
|
9
|
nine
|
ninth
|
|
10
|
ten
|
tenth
|
|
11
|
eleven
|
eleventh
|
|
12
|
twelve
|
twelfth
|
|
13
|
thirteen
|
thirteenth
|
|
14
|
fourteen
|
fourteenth
|
|
15
|
fifteen
|
fifteenth
|
|
16
|
sixteen
|
sixteenth
|
|
17
|
seventeen
|
seventeenth
|
|
18
|
eighteen
|
eighteenth
|
|
19
|
nineteen
|
nineteenth
|
|
20
|
twenty
|
twentieth
|
|
21
|
twenty-one
|
twenty-first
|
|
22
|
twenty-two
|
twenty-second
|
|
23
|
twenty-three
|
twenty-third
|
|
24
|
twenty-four
|
twenty-fourth
|
|
25
|
twenty-five
|
twenty-fifth
|
|
26
|
twenty-six
|
twenty-sixth
|
|
27
|
twenty-seven
|
twenty-seventh
|
|
28
|
twenty-eight
|
twenty-eighth
|
|
29
|
twenty-nine
|
twenty-ninth
|
|
30
|
thirty
|
thirtieth
|
|
31
|
thirty-one
|
thirty-first
|
|
40
|
forty
|
fortieth
|
|
50
|
fifty
|
fiftieth
|
|
60
|
sixty
|
sixtieth
|
|
70
|
seventy
|
seventieth
|
|
80
|
eighty
|
eightieth
|
|
90
|
ninety
|
ninetieth
|
|
100
|
one hundred
|
hundredth
|
|
500
|
five hundred
|
five hundredth
|
|
1,000
|
one thousand
|
thousandth
|
|
100,000
|
one hundred thousand
|
hundred thousandth
|
| 1,000,000 |
one million |
millionth |
Examples
- There are twenty-five people in the room.
- He was the fourteenth person to win the award since 1934.
- Six hundred thousand people were left homeless after the earthquake.
- I must have asked you twenty times to be quiet.
- He went to Israel for the third time this year.
Fractions and decimals
| Said |
Written |
Said |
|
half
|
0.5
|
point five
|
|
a quarter
|
0.25
|
point two five
|
|
three quarters
|
0.75
|
point seven five
|
Percentages
| Written |
Said |
|
25%
|
twenty five percent
|
|
50%
|
fifty percent
|
|
75%
|
seventy five percent
|
|
100%
|
a/one hundred percent
|
Units
| Written |
Said |
|
$1,200
|
one thousand two hundred dollars
|
|
£16,486
|
sixteen thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds
|
|
545kms
|
five hundred and forty-five kilometres
|
|
$25.35
|
twenty-five dollars thirty-five
|
Years
| Written |
Said |
|
1988
|
Nineteen eighty-eight
|
|
1864
|
Eighteen sixty-four
|
|
1999
|
Nineteen ninety-nine
|
How to say '0'
|
nought
|
used in mathematical expressions and decimals:
'nought times three equals nought'
0.3 = 'nought point three' (or 'point three')
0.03 = 'point nought three'
|
|
zero
|
used in scientific expressions, especially temperatures:
20oC = minus twenty degrees or
twenty degrees below zero
also used to mean 'the lowest point':
'The heavy rain reduced visibility to zero'
|
|
'o' (the letter)
|
used in telephone numbers:
0171 390 0062 = 'o one seven one three nine o double o six two'
|
|
nil/nothing
|
used to express the score in games such as football:
2 - 0 = 'two nil' or 'two nothing'
|