Ordinal Numbers Flashcards: 7 Powerful Ways To Learn 1st–100th Faster Than Ever

Why Ordinal Numbers Confuse So Many People

Let’s be honest:

Cardinal numbers are easy — 1, 2, 3.

Ordinal numbers are annoying — 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 21st, 32nd… and all those weird spellings (first, second, third, twelfth?!).

If you’re learning English (or teaching it), ordinal numbers show up everywhere:

• Dates: January 1st, 2nd, 3rd…
• Rankings: 1st place, 2nd place
• Floors: 3rd floor, 7th floor
• Instructions: “First, do this. Second, do that.”

They’re small words, but you see them constantly — so getting them wrong looks bad in exams, essays, and even basic messages.

That’s where ordinal numbers flashcards come in. And if you want to make and study them without wasting time, Flashrecall makes it ridiculously easy:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

You can turn text, images, even YouTube videos into flashcards in seconds, and it’ll automatically schedule reviews so you actually remember them.

Let’s walk through how to learn ordinal numbers fast, using flashcards the smart way.

Why Flashcards Work So Well For Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are perfect flashcard material because they’re:

• Short (1st, first)
• Repetitive (same pattern with small exceptions)
• Easy to test yourself on

Flashcards hit two key learning tools:

• Active recall – forcing your brain to pull the answer out (e.g., seeing “5th” and recalling “fifth”).
• Spaced repetition – reviewing just before you’re about to forget, so it sticks long-term.

Flashrecall bakes both of these in automatically:

• You see the prompt, try to recall the answer (active recall).
• The app spaces reviews for you using built-in spaced repetition, so you don’t have to track what to study when.

So instead of scrolling through a boring list of “1st, 2nd, 3rd…”, you’re actually training your brain to use them.

Step 1: Decide Which Ordinal Numbers You Actually Need

You don’t need to memorize ordinal numbers up to 1,000 on day one. Focus on what you’ll actually see:

• 1st–10th (first to tenth)
• 11th–20th (eleventh to twentieth)
• Key “weird” ones:
• 1st – first
• 2nd – second
• 3rd – third
• 5th – fifth
• 8th – eighth
• 9th – ninth
• 12th – twelfth

Then move on to:

• Every 10th: 20th, 30th, 40th…
• Common dates: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 31st
• Ranking words: 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, last, next, previous

In Flashrecall, you can easily make decks like:

• “Ordinal Numbers 1–20”
• “Ordinal Numbers for Dates”
• “Ordinal Numbers for Rankings”

That way you’re not overwhelmed by a giant, messy list.

Step 2: Create Smart Ordinal Number Flashcards (Not Boring Ones)

Here’s how to set up effective cards in Flashrecall.

1. Basic Form Cards

Make both directions:

• Symbol → Word
• Word → Symbol

Flashrecall lets you create cards manually super quickly, or you can paste a list and turn them into cards in seconds.

2. Pattern Cards

Help your brain see patterns, not random words.

`What ending do most ordinal numbers from 4–20 use?`

`They usually end in “-th” (fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, etc.), with a few spelling changes like “fifth”, “ninth”, “twelfth”.`

Or:

`What are the three special ordinal endings?`

`1st – st

2nd – nd

3rd – rd

Everything else – th`

Flashrecall is great for this because you’re not limited to simple Q&A — you can add explanations, examples, and even images.

3. Sentence Example Cards

You don’t just want to know the word — you want to use it.

`Complete the sentence:

She finished in ___ place in the race.`

`She finished in third place in the race. (3rd)`

`Write this date in words:

“March 21st”`

`March twenty-first`

You can also:

• Screenshot examples from textbooks or websites
• Import them into Flashrecall as image-based flashcards
• Then type the answer when you review

Step 3: Use Flashrecall To Make Cards Instantly (Instead Of Typing Forever)

Typing every single number manually is boring. Flashrecall gives you shortcuts:

Turn Text Lists Into Cards

If you already have a list like:

• 1st – first
• 2nd – second
• 3rd – third

You can paste it into Flashrecall and quickly turn it into a whole deck.

You can also just prompt it, like:

> “Generate flashcards for English ordinal numbers 1st–31st with examples using dates.”

Flashrecall can generate cards from typed prompts, so you don’t have to build everything yourself.

Use Images, PDFs, Or YouTube

Studying from a worksheet or textbook?

• Take a photo or screenshot
• Import it into Flashrecall
• Let it create flashcards from the image or PDF

Watching a YouTube grammar explanation about ordinal numbers?

• Drop the YouTube link into Flashrecall
• Turn the key points into flashcards automatically

It’s honestly one of the easiest ways to go from “I saw this once” to “I’ll actually remember this.”

👉 Try it here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Step 4: Train With Active Recall (Not Just Passive Reading)

If you’re just staring at lists like:

> first, second, third, fourth, fifth…

you’ll forget them in a day.

With Flashrecall, you get built-in active recall:

1. The app shows you the front: `17th`

2. You try to say the answer: `seventeenth`

3. Then you flip the card and check.

That tiny struggle is what makes your brain remember.

You can also:

• Type answers for extra challenge
• Or just say them out loud / in your head if you’re on the bus

If you’re unsure or confused about a card, Flashrecall has a super useful feature:

You can chat with the flashcard to ask follow-up questions like:

> “Why is it ‘twelfth’ and not ‘twelveth’?”

> “Give me 3 more example sentences with ‘fourth’.”

It’s like having a mini tutor inside your deck.

Step 5: Let Spaced Repetition Do The Heavy Lifting

The biggest mistake people make with flashcards:

They cram everything in one day and then never review again.

Flashrecall fixes that with automatic spaced repetition and study reminders:

• Cards you know well appear less often
• Cards you struggle with appear more often
• The app reminds you when it’s time to review, so you don’t have to remember

So you might see:

• `1st – first` less often once you master it
• `12th – twelfth` more often if you keep hesitating

The best part: you don’t need to manage any of this. Flashrecall schedules it for you.

Step 6: Practice Ordinal Numbers In Real-Life Contexts

Flashcards are amazing, but you’ll remember even better if you use ordinal numbers in real contexts.

Here are some deck ideas you can build in Flashrecall:

1. Dates Deck

Cards like:

`How do you say this date?

14/7`

`The fourteenth of July`

`Write this:

“The twenty-third of May” → numeric form`

`23rd May`

2. Rankings & Competitions Deck

`She came in ___ place.`

`She came in second place. (2nd)`

`What’s the ordinal for 10?`

`Tenth (10th)`

3. Everyday Life Deck

`You live on the ___ floor.`

`You live on the fifth floor. (5th)`

`“This is the ___ time I’ve asked you.” (3)`

`This is the third time I’ve asked you.`

You can quickly type these, or even speak them as audio and let Flashrecall make cards from audio content.

Step 7: Build A Simple Daily Routine (5–10 Minutes)

You don’t need to study for hours. For ordinal numbers, consistency beats intensity.

A simple plan:

• Day 1–3:
• 1st–10th (both forms)
• A few sentence examples
• Day 4–6:
• 11th–20th
• Common dates
• Day 7+:
• 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 30th, 31st
• Ranking and everyday life sentences

With Flashrecall’s offline mode, you can review:

• On the bus
• Between classes
• During a short break at work

The app will nudge you with study reminders, so you don’t forget your streak.

Why Use Flashrecall Instead Of Paper Flashcards Or Generic Apps?

You could use paper cards or a basic flashcard app, but Flashrecall is built to make this whole process faster and less painful:

• ✅ Creates cards instantly from images, text, audio, PDFs, and YouTube links
• ✅ Lets you chat with your flashcards when you’re confused
• ✅ Has built-in active recall + spaced repetition — no manual scheduling
• ✅ Sends study reminders so you don’t fall off
• ✅ Works offline on iPhone and iPad
• ✅ Is fast, modern, and easy to use
• ✅ Great not just for ordinal numbers, but languages, exams, school subjects, university, medicine, business — literally anything you need to memorize
• ✅ Free to start, so you can try it without committing to anything

If you’re serious about actually remembering things (not just “studying” and forgetting), it’s worth having a tool that does the heavy lifting for you.

👉 Grab Flashrecall here and start your ordinal numbers deck in a few minutes:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Quick Recap

To master ordinal numbers with flashcards:

1. Start small – focus on 1st–20th and the weird ones (first, second, third, twelfth…).

2. Make smart cards – both forms (1st ↔ first), patterns, and sentence examples.

3. Use Flashrecall to create cards instantly from text, images, PDFs, or YouTube.

4. Practice with active recall – don’t just read; test yourself.

5. Let spaced repetition handle the timing so you don’t forget.

6. Add real-life context – dates, rankings, floors, everyday phrases.

7. Review 5–10 minutes a day — consistency wins.

Do this for a week, and you’ll stop hesitating on 21st vs 22nd, 3rd vs 13th, and all those tricky spellings.

And if you want the easiest way to get started, build your first ordinal numbers deck in Flashrecall today:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Anki good for studying?

Anki is powerful but requires manual card creation and has a steep learning curve. Flashrecall offers AI-powered card generation from your notes, images, PDFs, and videos, making it faster and easier to create effective flashcards.

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

What's the best way to learn vocabulary?

Research shows that combining flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall is highly effective. Flashrecall automates this process, generating cards from your study materials and scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.

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