To say which one in a line, or which day of the month, use first, second, third. These three do not follow the pattern, so learn them on their own.
first, second, third
first /fɜːrst/ — Amina is first in the line.
second /ˈsek.ənd/ — Lars is second.
third /θɜːrd/ — The class is on March third.
Try it: 🚪 THE LINE AT THE DESK
1 — Amina
2 — Lars
3 — Mei
Hiroshi: Where is Lars?
Camila: He is ___ in the line. (second / first / third) Answer: second — The board puts Lars at number 2, and number 2 in a line is second.
The ending after third
For most other numbers, look at the last number word and add -th:
four → fourth
six → sixth
ten → tenth
A -y at the end changes to -ie first: twenty → twentieth. A few change a little more, like five → fifth.
After twenty the pattern starts again, so twenty-one → twenty-first.
fourth /fɔːrθ/ — My class is on June fourth.
tenth /tenθ/ — The party is on the tenth.
twentieth /ˈtwen.ti.əθ/ — We meet on the twentieth.
twenty-first /ˌtwen.ti ˈfɜːrst/ — Her birthday is on the twenty-first.
Try it: Wei: The art show is on June 6. Yasmin: June ___. I can come. Finish Yasmin's line. (sixth / sixteenth / six) Answer: sixth — Wei says June 6, and six takes -th: June sixth. six is the plain number, and sixteenth would be June 16.
Your birthday and your date of birth
Your birthday is the day you have a party. Your date of birth is the same day written on a form. In the US the month comes first: May 3 is written 5/3.
birthday /ˈbɜːrθ.deɪ/ — Happy birthday, Mei!
date of birth /ˌdeɪt əv ˈbɜːrθ/ — Date of birth: 5/3
Try it: 📝 NEW MEMBER FORM
Name: Mateo
Date of birth: 4/9
Lani: So which month?
Sofia: The month is written first, so it is ___. (April / September / May) Answer: April — In the US the month comes first, so 4/9 is the fourth month, April, on the ninth day.
Saying a year
A year is said in two halves, not as one big number:
1998 → nineteen ninety-eight
2024 → twenty twenty-four
The years from 2000 to 2009 are said whole: 2000 → two thousand.
thousand /ˈθaʊ.zənd/ — the year two thousand
Try it: Ira: I write my date of birth here. It is nineteen ninety-eight. Diego: So I write ___. Finish Diego's line. (1998 / 1908 / 1918) Answer: 1998 — The two halves are nineteen and ninety-eight, so the year is 1998.