Cardinal and ordinal numbers in English
1.Cardinal numbers
Whole numbers also known as cardinal numbers.Examples:
There are six books on the table.
Alinda is two years old.
1.1. Numbers bigger than 20
Use a hyphen between compound numbers.| Symbol | Word |
|---|---|
| 25 | twenty-five |
| 63 | sixty-three |
| 89 | eighty-nine |
1.2. Numbers bigger than 100
Use a hyphen between compound numbers and the word and.Use either the definite article a or one for 100.
| Symbol | Word |
|---|---|
| 143 | a/one hundred and fourty-three |
| 562 | five hundred and sixty-two |
1.3.Numbers bigger than 1,000
| Symbol | Word |
|---|---|
| 1,245 | a/one thousand and two hundred and fourty-five |
| 4,783 | four thousand and seven hundred and eighty-three |
1.4. The number 0
| Word | When we use it | For example |
|---|---|---|
| zero | in temperature | -20 °C = "20 degrees below zero" |
| nought | figure 0 in British English | 6 - 6 = 0 Five minus five leaves nought. |
| oh | after a decimal point, in phone numbers, in years | 7.01 = "seven point oh one" |
| nil | in sport | Galatasaray 1 - Manchester United 0 = "Galatasaray one Manchester United nil" |
| love | in tennis | 40 - 0 = "Fourty love." |
1.5. Year
| Symbol | Word |
|---|---|
| 1800 | eighteen hundred |
| 1803 | eighteen hundred (and) one eighteen oh-three |
| 1985 | nineteen hundred eighty-five |
| 2000 | two thousand twenty hundred |
| 2007 | two thousand (and) seven twenty oh-seven |
| 2025 | two thousand (and) twenty-five twenty twenty-five |
2. Ordinal numbers
Used for ranking.| In figures | In Words |
|---|---|
| 1st | first |
| 2nd | second |
| 3rd | third |
| 5th | fifth |
| 8th | eighth |
| 9th | ninth |
| 12th | twelfth |
| 20th | twentieth |
| 21st | twenty-first |
| 22nd | twenty-second |
| 23rd | twenty-third |
| 24th | twenty-fourth |
| 25th | twenty-fifth |
| 26th | twenty-sixth |
3. Fractions
| In figures | In Words |
|---|---|
| 1/8 | One eighth |
| 1/5 | One fifth |
| 1/3 | One third |
| 2/3 | Two third |
| 1/4 | One quarter |
| 3/4 | Three quarters |
| 1/2 | One half |
4. Decimals
4.9 → four point nine3.57 → three point five seven
5. Sums
| Symbols | Words |
|---|---|
| + | Plus (And) |
| - | Minus (Take away) |
| x | Multiplied by (Times) |
| / | Divided by |
| = | Equals (Is) |
| % | Percent |
| . | Point |
- Two plus eight minus four multiplied by two divided by three equals four
- Two and eight take away four times two divided by three is four
- (((2 + 8) - 4) x 2) ÷ 3 = 4