Snap Language

Some cardinal change when they become ordinal numbers:

For all the 10s (ending in -ty), the Y changes to IE:

Pronunciation changes

All 10s ending in -ty

For all other numbers, add -th to the cardinal number to make it an ordinal number. There are some spelling and pronunciation changes you should notice:

• “Eight” becomes “eighth" (only one T).
• “Nine” becomes “ninth” (drop the E).
• ”Twelve” becomes “twelfth” (VE changes to F). The pronunciation also changes from /v/ to /f/.
• In numbers ending in “-ty,” the Y changes to IE such as twentieth, thirtieth, fortieth, and so forth. The pronunciation also changes to /-tiəθ/ (e.g., 20th /ˈtwentiəθ/, 30th /ˈθɚtijəθ/, 40th /ˈfɔːrtiəθ/).

Examples

Always look at the Last Number

Notice that only the last number changes to its ordinal form.

To abbreviate ordinals, add the last two letters of the ordinal number.

Be Careful

Be careful to add the correct abbreviation based on the last number.

Most ordinal numbers end in TH, so it is a common mistake to add a TH to any number. You end up with, for example, 31th, which is wrong!

Remember, you must look at the last number. “Thirty-one” becomes “thirty-first, so the abbreviation is 31st.