rank; place in a ranking
Counter suffix for ranking or placing in a contest, list, sales chart, and similar orderings. Commonly appears after numbers, especially with 第 as in 第1位.
彼はマラソンで1位になった。
He came in first place in the marathon.
この商品は売上ランキングで第2位です。
This product is second in the sales ranking.
decimal place
Mathematical counter for positions after the decimal point, usually in phrases like 小数第2位 or 小数第3位.
小数第3位を四捨五入してください。
Please round at the third decimal place.
counter for ghosts
Rare and specialized counter use for ghosts or spirits. In everyday modern Japanese, other counters such as 一人 or 一体 are more likely depending on context, so this use is best treated as dictionary or specialized knowledge.
辞書的には、「幽霊一位」のように幽霊を数える用法もある。
In dictionary terms, there is also a use that counts ghosts as in “one ghost.”
She took first place in the marathon.
小数第2位まで計算してください。
Please calculate to the second decimal place.
I placed within the top 10 on the test.
番 marks a number in a sequence or turn broadly, while 位 specifically denotes rank or placement in a ranking.
位 is the general counter for ranking any position (1位, 2位, etc.), while 傑 specifically marks someone or something as among the top/best in a set, as in 十傑 (the top ten).
位 is the general counter for rank or standing (一位、二位) used in contests and exams, while 着 is used specifically for finishing order in a race.
桁 refers to a digit or place value in a number generally, whereas 位 is used in fixed expressions like 小数第3位 for a specific decimal position.
体 is the common counter for bodies, dolls, and figures (and sometimes ghosts), while 位 as a ghost counter is a rare, specialized usage.
The kanji 位 is conventionally associated with position, rank, or standing. This word covers the suffix-like counter reading い; the broader historical derivation is not specified.