When Are Ordinal Numbers Spelled out?

Spell out ordinal numbers up to (and including) ninth when indicating sequence in time or location (e.g., first kiss, 11th hour) but not when indicating sequence in naming conventions (usually geographic, military, or political, e.g., 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals).

Are ordinal numbers spelled out?

Typically, in formal writing, you will want to write out numbers up to ten as words and use numerals for larger values. We use ordinal numbers to rank or order things (e.g., first, second, third). Most ordinal numbers are written as words in formal writing, but larger values can be written as numerals.

When should numbers be spelled out?

The general rule is that you should spell out numbers one to one hundred, and use digits for anything higher than that. Also hyphenate numbers that that are made up of two words (“thirty-seven”).