diff --git a/src/apps/management/recovery_device.py b/src/apps/management/recovery_device.py
index 041795b356..4346931e6b 100644
--- a/src/apps/management/recovery_device.py
+++ b/src/apps/management/recovery_device.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from trezor.pin import pin_to_int
 from trezor.ui.keyboard import MnemonicKeyboard
 from trezor.ui.text import Text
 from trezor.ui.word_select import WordSelector
+from trezor.utils import format_ordinal
 from apps.common import storage
 from apps.management.change_pin import request_pin_confirm
 
@@ -71,8 +72,8 @@ async def request_mnemonic(ctx, count: int) -> str:
 
     words = []
     board = MnemonicKeyboard()
-    for i in range(0, count):
-        board.prompt = 'Type %s. word' % (i + 1)
+    for i in range(count):
+        board.prompt = 'Type the %s word:' % format_ordinal(i + 1)
         word = await board
         words.append(word)
 
diff --git a/src/apps/management/reset_device.py b/src/apps/management/reset_device.py
index 5b6ec58938..8fb437dec9 100644
--- a/src/apps/management/reset_device.py
+++ b/src/apps/management/reset_device.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from trezor.ui.confirm import HoldToConfirmDialog
 from trezor.ui.keyboard import MnemonicKeyboard
 from trezor.ui.scroll import Scrollpage, animate_swipe, paginate
 from trezor.ui.text import Text
-from trezor.utils import chunks
+from trezor.utils import chunks, format_ordinal
 
 from apps.common import storage
 from apps.common.confirm import require_confirm
@@ -178,9 +178,9 @@ async def show_mnemonic_page(page: int, page_count: int, pages: list):
 async def check_mnemonic(ctx, mnemonic: str) -> bool:
     words = mnemonic.split()
     index = random.uniform(len(words) // 2)  # first half
-    result = await MnemonicKeyboard('Type %s. word' % (index + 1))
+    result = await MnemonicKeyboard('Type the %s word:' % format_ordinal(index + 1))
     if result != words[index]:
         return False
     index = len(words) // 2 + random.uniform(len(words) // 2)  # second half
-    result = await MnemonicKeyboard('Type %s. word' % (index + 1))
+    result = await MnemonicKeyboard('Type the %s word:' % format_ordinal(index + 1))
     return result == words[index]
diff --git a/src/trezor/utils.py b/src/trezor/utils.py
index cea7521d8b..faeb49226f 100644
--- a/src/trezor/utils.py
+++ b/src/trezor/utils.py
@@ -34,3 +34,7 @@ def format_amount(amount, decimals):
     if amount.endswith('.'):
         amount = amount[:-1]
     return amount
+
+
+def format_ordinal(number):
+    return str(number) + {1: 'st', 2: 'nd', 3: 'rd'}.get(4 if 10 <= number % 100 < 20 else number % 10, 'th')