First Floor – Meaning & Spelling

Photo of author

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

Is the first floor also the ground floor, or is it the other way around? I’ve always been confused about this and didn’t realize that certain countries use different terms for the level of a building that’s on the ground. So, let’s take a look and straighten out the details.

What Is “First Floor”?

Grammarist Article Graphic V5 26

The countable noun first floor refers to the floor or story of a building located above the ground-level floor. When you walk into an apartment building, for example, you’re on the ground floor, and when you enter the elevator and choose the number one, you’re headed up to the very next floor above, which is called the first floor.

Is It Ground Floor or First Floor?

That depends. The ground floor is one located at ground level or when you first enter a building or home. The first floor is actually the next level up from that.

However, in some countries, the ground floor is the basement, meaning the level below ground, and the first floor is what most call the ground floor. It gets confusing sometimes, I know, because both make sense.

In America and Canada, the floor that’s on the ground level is usually called the first floor. In the UK, Ireland, Africa, and New Zealand, they call it the ground floor.

First Floor Spelling

When typing it out, it’s spelled f-i-r-s-t and f-l-o-o-r. But if you’re using it for a graphic or want a shortened version, you can use 1st floor.

Is It ‘In the Ground Floor’ or ‘On the Ground Floor’?

Grammarist Article Graphic V5 27

The correct way to say it is “on the ground floor” in most cases. You could say “in the ground floor,” and most people would catch what you mean and likely not even correct you or notice the mistake.

What Is Another Name for First Floor?

Looking for a first floor synonym? Here you go! Use any of these terms in place of it.

  • Ground floor
  • Ground level
  • First level
  • Ground story
  • First story
  • Bottom floor
  • Bottom level
  • Street-level floor
  • Floor flat with the ground

Using First Floor in a Sentence

  • When I was studying Design in college, I shared a first-floor apartment with two other girls in my class.
  • Make sure to book a room on the first floor for the trip so we can take the dog outside easily.
  • The murder took place on the first floor of the downtown historic complex.
  • I’m going up to the first floor.
  • I tried to rent an apartment on the first floor where my best friend lives, but the complex only had single-bedroom units available on the third floor.
  • I live in room 102 on the first floor of the eight-story building.
  • I just got back from London, and my hotel room was on the first floor, but they called it the ground floor.

First Floor Explained

So, remember, it depends on where you live or where you’re visiting, but the first floor will most likely be the one above the ground level of a building.

Comments are closed.