22th or 22nd: Which Spelling Is Correct?

Understanding 22nd vs. 22th. Use 22nd, not 22th.

When 22 shows position, order, or sequence, we write 22nd. The word form is twenty-second.

For example:

• She finished 22nd in the competition.
• Today is his 22nd birthday.
• Our office is on the 22nd floor.

Why Is 22nd Correct?

When 22 tells us the number of items rather than their position, it is a cardinal number:

There are 22 students in the class.

When the same number shows position or order, it becomes an ordinal number:

She is the 22nd student on the list.

English uses different endings for many ordinal numbers:

• 1 → 1st
• 2 → 2nd
• 3 → 3rd
• 4 → 4th

Because 22 ends in 2, its ordinal form ends in nd.

So:

22 → 22nd

The word form follows the same idea:

twenty-two → twenty-second

What Does 22nd Mean?

22nd means twenty-second.

It tells the reader that something comes after the 21st position and before the 23rd.

For example:

• The blue car finished 22nd.
• Read the 22nd page.
• He lives on the 22nd floor.
• This is the 22nd item on the list.

By contrast, 22 simply tells us the number or amount.

The box contains 22 books.

Here, 22 does not describe a position, so there is no need for -nd.

22nd or Twenty-Second?

22nd and twenty-second express the same ordinal number, but one uses digits, and the other uses words.

Use 22nd when you want the short numerical form:

She won 22nd place.

Write twenty-second when you spell the number out instead of using digits:

She won twenty-second place.

The word twenty-second needs a hyphen between twenty and second.

You should not write:

• twenty-two-th
• twenty-twoth
• 22th

The standard forms are:

• 22nd
• twenty-second

What Is the Rule for Numbers Ending in 2?

Numbers ending in 2 usually take -nd as ordinals.

Examples include:

• 2nd
• 22nd
• 32nd
• 42nd
• 52nd

The order becomes clear in this sequence:

21st → 22nd → 23rd → 24th

That is why 22th doesn’t follow the normal ordinal pattern.

There is one detail to remember. The numbers ending in 11, 12, and 13 use -th:

• 11th
• 12th
• 13th

The same applies to larger numbers ending in those two digits:

• 111th
• 112th
• 113th

Since 22 does not end in 11, 12, or 13, it uses -nd.

Is 22nd Used for Dates?

You may use 22nd when a date includes an ordinal ending.

For example:

The event is on September 22nd.

You may also see:

22nd September

However, some formal date styles leave out ordinal endings. For example:

September 22, 2026
22 September 2026

So the choice depends on the date style you use. Therefore, 22th should not be used as the ordinal form of 22.

See Also: Repore or Rapport: Which Spelling Is Correct?

How Do You Write a 22nd Birthday?

For a birthday, use 22nd:

Happy 22nd birthday!

The number can also be spelled out:

Happy twenty-second birthday!

Both are correct.

Other examples:

• She will celebrate her 22nd birthday this weekend.
• I bought a card for his 22nd birthday.
• Her 22nd birthday falls on a Saturday.

Writing 22th birthday is incorrect.

Other Common Uses of 22nd

You can use 22nd whenever 22 describes a position or order.

Position

He came 22nd in the race.

Floor

Their apartment is on the 22nd floor.

Chapter

The answer appears in the 22nd chapter.

List

Your name appears in position 22nd on the register.

Anniversary

The company is celebrating its 22nd anniversary.

Sequence

This is the 22nd episode of the series.

In each case, 22nd tells us where something falls in an order.

Why Do People Write 22th?

The mistake is understandable because -th appears in many ordinal numbers:

• 4th
• 5th
• 6th
• 7th
• 8th
• 9th
• 10th
• 20th
• 24th

A writer may see this pattern and add -th to 22 automatically.

But ordinal endings do not all use -th. Numbers ending in 1, 2, and 3 often use -st, -nd, and -rd, except for numbers ending in 11, 12, and 13.

That gives us:

• 21st
• 22nd
• 23rd
• 24th

That is why 22th is not the correct form.

A Simple Way to Remember 22nd

Think about the ordinal form of 2:

2nd = second

Now look at 22:

22nd = twenty-second

The nd ending connects 22 with second.

You can use the same pattern with other numbers ending in 2:

32nd = thirty-second
42nd = forty-second
52nd = fifty-second

Seeing the connection with second can help you remember how to spell 22nd.

22th or 22nd: Common Examples

Here are some quick corrections:

❌ My 22th birthday is next month.
✅ My 22nd birthday is next month.

❌ She finished 22th in the race.
✅ She finished 22nd in the race.

❌ The shop is on the 22th floor.
✅ The shop is on the 22nd floor.

❌ Read the 22th chapter.
✅ Read the 22nd chapter.

❌ Our 22th anniversary is coming soon.
✅ Our 22nd anniversary is coming soon.

Final Answer

If you are choosing between 22nd and 22nd, go with 22nd.

Use 22nd when 22 shows position, order, or sequence. Its full word form is twenty-second.

Remember the pattern:

21st → 22nd → 23rd → 24th

Whenever 22 refers to an ordinal position, use 22nd, rather than 22th.

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