PHP: increment counter function using words (i.e. First, Second, Third, etc.. )

Twenty isn't that much to hardcode. You'd just need an array, not a function.

$array = array('First', 'Second', 'Third', ...);

foreach ($array as $key => $value)
{
  echo "$value index is $key";
}

The more direct answer is: There isn't a built in function that does what you're looking for.

There is a class from PEAR package can do that:

<?php

// include class
include("Numbers/Words.php");

// create object
$nw = new Numbers_Words();

// convert to string
echo "600 in words is " . $nw->toWords(600);

?>

Source.

<?php

    /*****************************************************************************/

function ToOrdinal($n) {
  /* Convert a cardinal number in the range 0 - 999 to an ordinal in
     words. */

  /* The ordinal will be collected in the variable $ordinal.
   Initialize it as an empty string.*/
  $ordinal = "";

  /* Check that the number is in the permitted range. */
  if ($n >= 0 && $n <= 999)
    null;
  else{
    echo "<br />You have called the function ToOrdinal with this value: $n, but
it is not in the permitted range, from 0 to 999, inclusive.<br />";
    return;
  }
  /* Extract the units. */
  $u = $n % 10;

  /* Extract the tens. */
  $t = floor(($n / 10) % 10);

  /* Extract the hundreds. */
  $h = floor($n / 100);

  /* Determine the hundreds */
  if ($h > 0) {

    /* ToCardinalUnits() works with numbers from 0 to 9, so it's okay
       for finding the number of hundreds, which must lie within this
       range. */
    $ordinal .= ToCardinalUnits($h);
    $ordinal .= " hundred";

    /* If tens and units are zero, append "th" and quit */
    if ($t == 0 && $u == 0) {
      $ordinal .=  "th";
    } else {
      /* Otherwise put in a blank space to separate the hundreds from
     what follows. */
      $ordinal .= " ";
    }
  }

  /* Determine the tens, unless there is just one ten.  If units are 0,
     handle them separately */
  if ($t >= 2 && $u != 0) {
    switch ($t) {
    case 2:
      $ordinal .= "twenty-";
      break;
   case 3:
      $ordinal .= "thirty-";
      break;
    case 4:
      $ordinal .= "forty-";
      break;
    case 5:
      $ordinal .= "fifty-";
      break;
    case 6:
      $ordinal .= "sixty-";
      break;
    case 7:
      $ordinal .= "seventy-";
      break;
    case 8:
      $ordinal .= "eighty-";
      break;
    case 9:
      $ordinal .= "ninety-";
      break;
    }
  }
  /* Print the tens (unless there is just one ten) with units == 0 */
  if ($t >= 2 && $u == 0) {
    switch ($t) {
    case 2:
      $ordinal .= "twentieth";
      break;
    case 3:
      $ordinal .= "thirtieth";
      break;
    case 4:
      $ordinal .= "fortieth";
      break;
    case 5:
      $ordinal .= "fiftieth";
      break;
    case 6:
      $ordinal .= "sixtieth";
      break;
    case 7:
      $ordinal .= "seventieth";
      break;
    case 8:
      $ordinal .= "eightieth";
      break;
    case 9:
      $ordinal .= "ninetieth";
      break;
    }
  }


  /* Print the teens, if the tens is 1. */
  if ($t == 1) {
    switch ($u) {
    case 0:
      $ordinal .= "tenth";
      break;
    case 1:
      $ordinal .= "eleventh";
      break;
    case 2:
      $ordinal .= "twelfth";
      break;
    case 3:
      $ordinal .= "thirteenth";
      break;
    case 4:
      $ordinal .= "fourteenth";
      break;
    case 5:
      $ordinal .= "fifteenth";
      break;
    case 6:
      $ordinal .= "sixteenth";
      break;
    case 7:
      $ordinal .= "seventeenth";
      break;
    case 8:
      $ordinal .= "eighteenth";
      break;
    case 9:
      $ordinal .= "nineteenth";
      break;
    }
  }

  /* Print the units. */
  if ($t != 1) {
    switch ($u) {
    case 0:
      if ($n == 0)
    $ordinal .= "zeroth";
      break;
    case 1:
      $ordinal .= "first";
      break;
    case 2:
      $ordinal .= "second";
      break;
    case 3:
      $ordinal .= "third";
      break;
    case 4:
      $ordinal .= "fourth";
      break;
    case 5:
      $ordinal .= "fifth";
      break;
    case 6:
      $ordinal .= "sixth";
      break;
    case 7:
      $ordinal .= "seventh";
      break;
    case 8:
      $ordinal .= "eighth";
      break;
    case 9:
      $ordinal .= "ninth";
      break;
    }
  }
  return $ordinal;
}

/*****************************************************************************/


function ToCardinalUnits($n) {
  /* Convert a number in the range 0 to 9 into its word equivalent. */

  /* Make sure the number is in the permitted range. */
  if ($n >= 0 && $n <= 9)
    null;
  else
    {
      echo "<br />You have called ToCardinal() with an argument $n, but the permitted range is 0 to 9, inclusive.<br />";
    }

  switch ($n) {
  case 0:
    return "zero";
  case 1:
    return "one";
  case 2:
    return "two";
  case 3:
    return "three";
  case 4:
    return "four";
  case 5:
    return "five";
  case 6:
    return "six";
  case 7:
    return "seven";
  case 8:
    return "eight";
  case 9:
    return "nine";
  }
}



?>

Here goes some pseudo code to perhaps lead on a hopefully good way:

input = //any number
output = string (input)
if output ends with '1' then output += 'st'
else if output ends with '2' then output += 'nd'
else if output ends with '3' then output += 'rd'
else output += 'th'