Looking closely at “Fifthteen” and “Fifteen,” you will notice that these words have almost the same spelling and pronunciation. However, they all want to arrive at the number “15“.
Due to some complexities from cardinal and ordinal numbers, this confusion tends to arise, making “Fifthteen” the incorrect way of writing the word, while Fifteen is the correct way.
This article will explain these words and help you understand their differences.
Fifthteen or Fifteen
Meaning of Fifthteen:
In the ordinal system, five is written as “fifth,” thus adding the suffix “teen” shows that it’s between 13 and 19, giving “fifthteen.”
However, “fifthteen” is incorrect because of the “th” and also the addition of “teen” to an ordinal number.
Examples:
- Aunty, if I add “fifth” and “teen”, does it make the word “fifthteen”? (incorrect)
- There are fifthteen books on the shelf. (incorrect)
- The fifthteenth song was recorded and produced by Dan Smith. (incorrect)
Read this: How do you spell 50 (fifty or fivety)
Fifthteen or Fifteen
Meaning of Fifteen:
If you look closely at the word “fifteen,” you will notice the presence of “five,” but during the pronunciation, the “ve” turns to “f.” However, this word is correct because of the addition of “teen” to the cardinal number “fif.”
Examples:
- I think there are fifteen songs on that playlist.
- I need fifteen designers to come forward with their laptops.
- How long will it take you to design fifteen fliers?
FAQs on “Fifthteen” vs. “Fifteen”
The correct spelling is “fifteen.” “Fifthteen” is a misspelling.
The confusion may arise from the similarity in sound between “fifth” (which denotes order) and “fif-” (the prefix for the number fifteen). People might inadvertently combine “fifth” with “teen.”
Think of the pattern in the teens: thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. The prefix “fif-” follows the trend set by “thir-” and “four-.”
Yes, numbers can sometimes be tricky. Another example is “forty” which is often mistakenly spelled as “fourty” by analogy to the number “four.”
Conclusion:
The number system can be complex, especially from eleven to nineteen, but studying these numbers and knowing the best way to write them is best.
On the other hand, relative to this article, “fifteen” is the correct way to write this word, while the other is incorrect.
NB: The best way to remember this word is to study it and have it in your mind because the number system from 11 to 19 can sometimes be confusing.
Awesome one; I hope this article answers your question.
Share this Information.
