2 syllables: hun, dredth. Stress on hun.
HUHN-druhdth
/ˈhʌndɹədθ/
hundredth is pronounced HUHN-druhdth (/ˈhʌndɹədθ/). It has two syllables (hun-dredth), with the stress on "hun". Hundredth is the ordinal form of one hundred, used to indicate the position in a sequence (e.g., the hundredth anniversary). It also functions as a fractional decimal equivalent (0.01) in some mathematical contexts. The term combines the numeral ‘hundred’ with the suffix ‘-th’ to mark order, and is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a final “th” sound. In natural speech, the cluster can blur into a light “d” or “t” before the final fricative.
Hundredth is the ordinal form of one hundred, used to indicate the position in a sequence (e.g., the hundredth anniversary). It also functions as a fractional decimal equivalent (0.01) in some mathematical contexts. The term combines the numeral ‘hundred’ with the suffix ‘-th’ to mark order, and is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a final “th” sound. In natural speech, the cluster can blur into a light “d” or “t” before the final fricative.
"She finished in the hundredth place in the race."
"The centenary celebration marks the hundredth year since the founding."
"He earned a hundredth of the total points for that round."
US: IPA: /ˈhʌn.drədθ/ . UK/US share the same RHOTIC/ non-rhotic difference is minor here; UK: /ˈhʌn.drɪθ/? Actually standard UK is /ˈhʌn.drədθ/; AU: /ˈhʌn.drɪdθ/. Emphasize first syllable, then a schwa-grade middle vowel, and a dental fricative /θ/ at the end. Keep the /dr/ cluster clear between the two syllables and finish with a light dental fricative. Tip: ensure the ‘red’ part in the middle doesn’t become ‘redd’ or ‘rend.’ The sequence should feel like Hun-dred-th with a smooth transition between /n/ and /d/. Audio reference: consult Cambridge or Forvo for native samples.
Common mistakes: (1) Slurring the middle syllable into a quick /d/ blend, producing /ˈhʌndθ/. Correction: insert a light /ɹ/ or /ə/ before the final /θ/ to keep /drədθ/ sound. (2) Misplacing stress as /ˈhʌn.dɹɪθ/ or /ˈhʌn.drədθ/ with stress shift; correction: keep primary stress on the first syllable: HUN-dredth. (3) Tongue placement for /θ/: avoid a voiced /f/ or /s/; use the tip of the tongue touching the upper teeth with a breathy voiceless fricative. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘hundred’ vs ‘hundreds’ and the final /θ/ cluster.
US/UK/AU share /ˈhʌn.drədθ/ but vowel quality can differ slightly: US tends to a slightly longer /ɜ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable with a rhotacized approximant in some regions; UK often maintains a crisper /drə/ before /θ/ and can have a shorter unstressed middle; AU commonly reduces the middle to /ɪ/ or /ɪə/ depending on speaker, and may devoice the final /θ; however most educated speakers keep final dental fricative voiceless. In all: stress on the first syllable; final /θ/ remains voiceless.
The difficulty lies in the final /θ/ after a closed /dr/ cluster and the middle vowel reduction: /ˈhʌn.drədθ/ requires precise tongue placement: tip to upper teeth for /θ/, mid back lax vowel for /ə/ or /ɜ/ between /n/ and /d/. The sequence has rapid articulatory transitions: alveolar, dental, and interdental gestures in close succession. Learners often substitute /t/‑like or /d/‑like ends or insert extra vowels. Focus on a clean, unvoiced dental fricative with a steady /dr/ linkage.
Unique aspects: the word ends with a dental fricative /θ/, not a /th/ as in 'bath' but the same symbol; the middle syllable often carries a reduced vowel /ə/ or /ɪ/ in US vs UK; the /dr/ cluster links neatly to the preceding /n/ without a separate release; the final /θ/ is typically voiceless; practice combining the /n/ to /dr/ then to /ə/ and /θ/ in one smooth chain.
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US: vowels are more centralized; steady /ə/ in the second syllable; final /θ/ is crisp, with tip on upper teeth. UK: crisper /drə/ before /θ/, often less vowel reduction; AU: may reduce the middle to /ɪ/ or even /ə/ but keep the /θ/ voiceless; Rhoticity does not impact the ending here; maintain a non-rhotic or slight rhotic influence depending on speaker but final /θ/ remains voiceless.
Hundredth derives from the Old English hundred (from Proto-Germanic hund- “hundred,” related to Dutch honderd and German hundert) plus the suffix -th, used to form ordinals. The word hundred itself traces to Proto-Indo-European *kmt-,” a root associated with countable tens, evolving through Old English hundred and Middle English. The ordinal suffix -th has Germanic origins and is used to form various ordinal numbers in English. The combination semantically preserved the meaning of “one part of a hundred” and gradually came to denote the ordinal position in any sequence. The first known uses appear in medieval English texts as the standard ordinal form accompanying numerals (e.g., “the hundredth day”). Over time, “hundredth” also appears in mathematical and scientific contexts to express 1/100, though in mathematics it’s more common to write 0.01 or 1/100. In modern usage, it remains a precise ordinal indicator and is often paired with phrases like “the hundredth anniversary” or “the hundredth percentile.”
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Words that rhyme with "hundredth"
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