Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are numerical symbols that indicate the position or rank of objects, individuals, or any arranged entities within a sequence. Essentially, these numbers convey the placement order of items or persons, illustrating their sequence or arrangement.

Ordinal Numbers are numbers that show position or order in a sequence. They denote the position or order of an element in a sequence, such as “first,” “second,” or “third”. For example, Kabir got 2nd rank in his class. Ordinal numbers extend beyond counting and represent the relative position or order of items in a sequence. They are used for tasks like ranking, indicating hierarchy, or describing steps in a process.

In this article, we will learn about Ordinal Numbers, the Difference between Cardinal Numbers, and Nominal Numbers, Ordinalality, List of Ordinal Numbers (up to 100), and others in detail.

What are Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal number is a numerical designation that signifies the position or order of an item concerning other items. It is often expressed using words such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on. This order could be based on various criteria, including size, significance, or chronological arrangement.

To illustrate, consider a case where ten students take part in a competition. The top performers receive medals and are assigned positions like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. In this context, the terms 1st, 2nd, and 3rd exemplify ordinal numbers, indicating the respective rankings of the students in the competition.

Ordinal Numbers Meaning

Ordinal number is a numerical representation that denotes the specific position or order of an element relative to other elements in a sequence.

Ordinal Numbers Examples

The first five ordinal numbers are,

• 1 – First

• 2 – Second

• 3 – Third

• 4 – Fourth

• 5 – Fifth

How to write Ordinal Numbers?

Writing ordinal numbers involves adding a suffix to the cardinal number base, usually “-st,” “-nd,” “-rd,” or “-th,” depending on the number:

1. For numbers ending in 1: Use “-st” (e.g., 1st, 21st, 31st), except when the number ends in 11 (e.g., 11th, 111th).
2. For numbers ending in 2: Use “-nd” (e.g., 2nd, 22nd, 32nd), except when the number ends in 12 (e.g., 12th, 112th).
3. For numbers ending in 3: Use “-rd” (e.g., 3rd, 23rd, 33rd), except when the number ends in 13 (e.g., 13th, 113th).
4. For all other numbers: Use “-th” (e.g., 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, etc.).

Facts About Ordinal Numbers

Facts about ordinal numbers are listed below

• Order and Sequence: Ordinal numbers represent the order or sequence of elements in a set. They indicate the position of an element relative to others.
• Numerical Representation: Ordinal numbers are often represented using numerals with a suffix, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on. The suffixes convey the position in the sequence.
• Distinct from Cardinal Numbers: Ordinality is distinct from cardinality. While cardinal numbers represent the quantity or size of a set, ordinal numbers represent the order or position of elements within that set.
• Ordinal Suffixes: Common ordinal suffixes include -st (1st, 21st), -nd (2nd, 22nd), -rd (3rd, 23rd), and -th (4th, 10th, 15th). These suffixes are added to cardinal numbers to create their ordinal counterparts.
• Not Suitable for Arithmetic: Ordinal numbers are not typically used in arithmetic operations. For example, adding “2nd” to “3rd” doesn’t have a meaningful mathematical interpretation.
• Application in Ranking: Ordinal numbers are frequently used in ranking, such as sports rankings, academic standings, or competition results. They provide a clear and concise way to express the relative positions of items.
• Flexibility in Representation: While suffixes like -st, -nd, -rd, and -th are common, ordinal numbers can also be represented using words (e.g., first, second, third) depending on the context.
• Ordinal Sets: Sets with ordinal numbers can exhibit patterns, like the staircase pattern, where values increase or decrease systematically based on order.

What is Ordinality?

Ordinality is a property of a set that allows its elements to be arranged in a specific order or sequence. In other words, it involves assigning a numerical value to each element based on its position in the order. This is different from cardinality, which focuses on the size or total number of elements in a set.

For example in set of integers {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, the ordinality of this set is determined by the order of its elements, where 1 holds the first position, 2 the second, and so forth. Ordinality plays a significant role in various mathematical and statistical applications, such as ranking data or evaluating the performance of a system over time.

Ordinal Numbers 1 to 20

Ordinal Number from 1 to 20 are different from other ordinal number because from 1 to 20 the numbers are different but from 20 onwards they follow a fixed pattern. Ordinal Numbers from 1 to 20 are added in the table below,

List of Ordinal Numbers From 1-20
1- First	5- Fifth	9- Ninth	13- Thirteenth	17- Seventeenth
2- Second	6- Sixth	10- Tenth	14- Fourteenth	18- Eighteenth
3- Third	7- Seventh	11- Eleventh	15- Fifteenth	19- Nineteenth
4- Fourth	8- Eighth	12- Twelfth	16- Sixteenth	20- Twentieth

List of Ordinal Numbers from 1-100

Ordinal Number 1-100 list is very important and is used to denote the position of various objects. The list of Ordinal Number 1-100 is added in the table below,

Ordinal Numbers 1-100
1st: First	21st: Twenty-First	41st: Forty-First	61th: Sixty-First	81st: Eighty-First
2nd: Second	22nd: Twenty-Second	42nd: Forty-Second	62nd: Sixty-Second	82nd: Eighty-Second
3rd: Third	23rd: Twenty-Third	43rd: Forty-Third	63rd: Sixty-Third	83rd: Eighty-Third
4th: Fourth	24th: Twenty-Fourth	44th: Forty-Fourth	64th: Sixty-Fourth	84th: Eighty-Fourth
5th: Fifth	25th: Twenty-Fifth	45th: Forty-Fifth	65th: Sixty-Fifth	85th: Eighty-Fifth
6th: Sixth	26th: Twenty-Sixth	46th: Forty-Sixth	66th: Sixty-Sixth	86th: Eighty-Sixth
7th: Seventh	27th: Twenty-Seventh	47th: Forty-Seventh	67th: Sixty-Seventh	87th: Eighty-Seventh
8th: Eighth	28th: Twenty-Eighth	48th: Forty-Eighth	68th: Sixty-Eighth	88th: Eighty-Eighth
9th: Ninth	29th: Twenty-Ninth	49th: Forty-Ninth	69th: Sixty-Ninth	89th: Eighty-Ninth
10th: Tenth	30th: Thirtieth	50th: Fiftieth	70th: Seventieth	90th: Ninetieth
11th: Eleventh	31st: Thirty-First	51st: Fifty-First	71st: Seventy-First	91st: Ninety-First
12th: Twelfth	32nd: Thirty-Second	52nd: Fifty-Second	72nd: Seventy-Second	92nd: Ninety-Second
13th: Thirteenth	33rd: Thirty-Third	53rd: Fifty-Third	73rd: Seventy-Third	93rd: Ninety-Third
14th: Fourteenth	34th: Thirty-Fourth	54th: Fifty-Fourth	74th: Seventy-Fourth	94th: Ninety-Fourth
15th: Fifteenth	35th: Thirty-Fifth	55th: Fifty-Fifth	75th: Seventy-Fifth	95th: Ninety-Fifth
16th: Sixteenth	36th: Thirty-Sixth	56th: Fifty-Sixth	76th: Seventy-Sixth	96th: Ninety-Sixth
17th: Seventeenth	37th: Thirty-Seventh	57th: Fifty-Seventh	77th: Seventy-Seventh	97th: Ninety-Seventh
18th: Eighteenth	38th: Thirty-Eighth	58th: Fifty-Eighth	78th: Seventy-Eighth	98th: Ninety-Eighth
19th: Nineteenth	39th: Thirty-Ninth	59th: Fifty-Ninth	79th: Seventy-Ninth	99th: Ninety-Ninth
20th: Twentieth	40th: Fortieth	60th: Sixtieth	80th: Eightieth	100th: Hundredth

Applications of Ordinal Numbers

Some of the real life examples are,

• Classroom Seating: In a classroom, students often have assigned seats. If Emily sits in the third row and the fifth seat, her seat’s ordinal position is 3rd row, 5th seat. Ordinal numbers help describe Emily’s specific location in the classroom, providing a clear understanding of her seating arrangement in relation to other students.
• Sports Rankings: In a soccer tournament, teams are ranked based on their performance. If a team finishes second, their ordinal rank is 2nd place. Ordinal numbers in sports rankings help convey the success or standing of a team relative to others, indicating their position in the competition.
• Book Chapters: When reading a book, chapters are often numbered. If an interesting event occurs in the fourth chapter, you’d refer to it as the event in the 4th chapter. Ordinal numbers in this context help readers navigate and discuss specific parts of the book, emphasizing the sequence of events.
• Medals in a Race: In a running race, participants who finish first, second, and third are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. Ordinal numbers signify the achievement and order of finishers, providing a clear distinction between the winners in terms of their performance.
• Street Addresses: Consider a street with houses numbered sequentially. If a friend lives in the seventh house on the right, their address is on the 7th street. Ordinal numbers in street addresses help locate specific houses in an ordered manner, facilitating navigation and identification.

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers

• Cardinal numbers are the numbers that are used for counting something.
• Ordinal number is a number that indicates the position or order of something in relation to other numbers, like, first, second, third, and so on.

Difference Between Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers

The table added below shows Oridinal Number and cardinal number from 1 to 20 and it tells the differences between them.

Difference Between Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
Number	Cardinal Number	Ordinal Number
1	One	First
2	Two	Second
3	Three	Thrid
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	Ninteen	Ninteenth
20	Twenty	Twentieth

Difference Between Cardinal Numbers, Ordinal Numbers, and Nominal Numbers

Cardinal Numbers are used for counting things, Ordinal are used for representing position of various objects, and Nominal numbers used to represent categories and labels and the differences between them are listed as follows,

Cardinal Numbers vs Ordinal Numbers vs Nominal Numbers
Characteristics	Cardinal Numbers	Ordinal Numbers	Nominal Numbers
Definition	Represents quantity or counting.	Represents position or ranking.	Represents categories or labels.
Examples	Examples include 1, 2, 3, 10, 100.	Examples include 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 100th .	Examples, Jersey Number of Player such as Dhoni
Order Matters	Order does not matter.	Order is significant.	Order does not matter.
Arithmetic Operations	Supports arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, etc.	Limited arithmetic operations (may not make sense in all contexts)	No meaningful arithmetic operations
Magnitude Comparison	Can be compared in terms of greater, lesser, equal, etc.	Can be compared in terms of less than, greater than, etc.	No meaningful comparison in terms of magnitude.
Application	Used for counting objects and measuring quantities.	Used for ranking, sequencing, and establishing order.	Used for categorizing, labeling, and naming.
Example Usage	Examples include “5 apples” or “20 books”	Examples include “3rd place” or “10th chapter”	Examples include “Red car” or “Blue sky”
Flexibility	Adaptable to various contexts and numerical operations .	Specific to indicating order or sequence, less flexible in other contexts .	Used primarily for classification and naming.

Check: Difference Between Cardinal, Ordinal, and Nominal Numbers

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Ordinal Numbers Solved Examples

Example 1: In a singing competition, Sarah finished in the 5^th position. What is the ordinal number that represents Sarah’s position?

Solution:

Sarah’s ordinal position is the 5th.

Example 2: A marathon race has 10 participants. If Alex finishes ahead of Bella but behind Chris, what is Alex’s ordinal position?

Solution:

Since Alex finishes ahead of Bella, his ordinal position is higher than hers. Since he finishes behind Chris, his ordinal position is lower than Chris. Therefore, Alex’s ordinal position is the 2nd.

Since Alex finishes ahead of Bella, his ordinal position is higher than hers. Since he finishes behind Chris, his ordinal position is lower than Chris. Therefore, Alex’s ordinal position is the 2nd.

Example 3: In a spelling bee, Emily correctly spelled the word and secured the 3rd position. What is Emily’s ordinal position?

Solution:

Emily’s ordinal position is the 3rd.

Example 4: Write ordinal number 1 to 20

Solution:

Ordinal numbers from 1 to 20 are,

1 – First, 2 – Second, 3 – Third, 4 – Fourth, 5 – Fifth, 6 – Sixth, 7 – Seventh, 8 – Eighth, 9 – Ninth, 10 – Tenth, 11 – Eleventh, 12 – Twelfth, 13 – Thirteenth, 14 – Fourteenth, 15 – Fifteenth, 16 – Sixteenth, 17 – Seventeenth, 18 – Eighteenth, 19 – Nineteenth, 20 – Twentieth.

Practice Question on Ordinal Numbers

Q1: In a singing competition, Lisa finished before Tom but after Sarah. What is Lisa’s ordinal position?

Q2: The library has books arranged on shelves. If you find a particular book in the 7th row and 3rd position, what is the book’s ordinal position?

Q3: In a spelling bee, Jane correctly spelled more words than John but fewer words than Emma. What is Jane’s ordinal position?

Q4: During a marathon, Michael crossed the finish line right after Amy but before David. What is Michael’s ordinal position?

Q5: At a graduation ceremony, if Peter receives his diploma after Rachel but before Mark, what is Peter’s ordinal position?

Summary – Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are key numerical indicators that express the order or rank of items within a sequence, distinguishing their positions relative to one another. These numbers are utilized across various domains to denote sequence, such as indicating the rank of competitors in a race (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd), outlining the arrangement of chapters in a book, or specifying the seating layout in a classroom. Unlike cardinal numbers, which quantify elements, ordinal numbers emphasize placement or sequence—whether it’s the second house on a street or the third chapter in a story. Ordinal numbers can be represented either numerically, often accompanied by a suffix like -st, -nd, -rd, or -th, or spelled out in words. Their application extends beyond mere ranking, playing a crucial role in organizing data, narrating sequences, and even denoting dates and positions in structured settings, thereby facilitating clarity and comprehension in everyday communication and analysis.

FAQs on Ordinal Numbers

What Does Ordinal Number Mean?

An ordinal number is a numerical value that denotes the position or order of an element within a sequence or set. Unlike cardinal numbers that represent quantity, ordinal numbers convey the relative position of an item, such as “first,” “second,” or “third.”

How to Write Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers are typically expressed using words or numerals with a suffix. For example, “1st” signifies the first position, “2nd” represents the second, and so on. In words, ordinal numbers are written as “first,” “second,” “third,” and continue in a similar fashion.

Why do we use Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers are essential for indicating the order or ranking of elements in various contexts. They provide clarity when describing positions, rankings, or sequences, making communication more precise. Common applications include sports rankings, chronological events, and categorizing data by order.

Is Zero an Ordinal Number?

No, zero is not considered an ordinal number. Ordinal numbers start from “first,” indicating the first position or order. Since zero signifies absence or lack of quantity, it doesn’t fit the criteria of indicating a position within a sequence.

What are Ordinal Numbers from 1 to 10?

Ordinal numbers from 1 to 10 are,

• 1st (First)
• 2nd (Second)
• 3rd (Third)
• 4th (Fourth)
• 5th (Fifth)
• 6th (Sixth)
• 7th (Seventh)
• 8th (Eighth)
• 9th (Ninth)
• 10th (Tenth)

What are Ordinal Numbers from 1 to 30?

Ordinal numbers represent the position or order of elements in a sequence. Examples of ordinal numbers from 1 to 30 include: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth.

What is Ordinal Number of 20?

Ordinal Number of 20 is Twentieth.