Thirteen is a cardinal number and noun used to indicate the value 13. It can function as a count noun or as an attributive modifier (as in “thirteen students”). It’s typically stressed on the first syllable and pronounced with two syllables: /ˈθɜːrˌtiːn/ in General American; some varieties reduce the /ɜːr/ to /ɜːr/ or /ɜr/ and fuse sounds in rapid speech.
"There are thirteen cards left in the deck."
"She turned thirteen yesterday and celebrated with a small party."
"The hikers crossed the thirteen-mile trail at dawn."
"A crowd of thirteen gathered for the meeting."
Thirteen comes from Old French trésneuf, from Latin tredecim, from tre- ‘three’ + decem ‘ten.’ The word entered English in the early medieval period as a direct descendant of the Latinate formation tredecim, reflecting a common pattern in English for numerals ending in -teen. The syllable boundary is typically stressed on the first syllable in most dialects (ˈθɜːrˌtiːn in many American accents; UK pronunciation often emphasizes the first syllable as well, with a longer /ɜː/ vowel). Over time, the pronunciation preserved the “th” initial consonant cluster /θr/ followed by a lax mid vowel in the first syllable, then a clear /tiːn/ for -teen. Since the 17th century, standard English has retained the two-syllable structure with a primary stress on the first syllable and a secondary or reduced stress on the second depending on speech pace. The derivation mirrors other English numerals in -teen, though contemporary usage increasingly favors a single, compact pronunciation in rapid speech. First known use in Old English sources traces back to the early medieval period, aligning with the broader birth of the numerals thirteen through nineteen as a fixed class in the language.
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Words that rhyme with "Thirteen"
-een sounds
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Thirteen is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈθɜːrˌtiːn/ in many US accents and /ˈθɜːtiːn/ in many UK/AU accents. Start with the θ (voiceless dental fricative) followed by the r-colored vowel. The stress is on the first syllable: THIR-teen, with the second syllable containing a long 'ee' sound. Tip: keep /θ/ crisp and avoid inserting an extra vowel before the /θ/. See audio references in standard dictionaries to hear the subtle US rhoticity.
Common errors include saying /ˈtɜːtɪn/ (merging /tiːn/ with /tɪn/) or dropping the initial /θ/ to a /t/ or /f/ sound. Another frequent issue is misplacing the primary stress or shortening the second syllable, making it sound like THIR-TEEN with uneven timing. Correct by ensuring a clear dental fricative onset /θ/ and a distinct long /iːn/ ending; practice with minimal pairs like 'thirteen' vs 'thirty' to keep distinct vowel lengths. Listening and repeating from authentic sources helps stabilize the two-syllable rhythm.
In US English, expect a rhotic /r/ in the first syllable: /ˈθɜrtiːn/. UK and AU often reduce rhoticity, giving /ˈθɜːtiːn/ with a longer mid-vowel and weaker r-coloration. Australians may have a slightly flatter vowel in the first syllable and a crisp /tiːn/ ending. In non-rhotic varieties, the /r/ is not heavily pronounced unless followed by a vowel, so the /ɜː/ vowel quality dominates. The essential two-syllable pattern remains, but vowel length and r-coloring shift by dialect.
The difficulty lies in the initial voiceless dental fricative /θ/ and the tricky cluster /ˈθɜr/. For many learners, the /θ/ is noisy and unfamiliar, and the /ɜr/ combination can be unstable across dialects. The long, tense /iː/ in the final syllable and the two-syllable rhythm can also be misaligned in fast speech, making it sound like 'thir-teen' or 'thirty-teen.' Practice with controlled drill on the /θ/ onset, stabilize /ɜr/ or /ɜː/ depending on your accent, and consistently produce /tiːn/ with a clear, elongated vowel.
There are no silent letters in thirteen. The initial cluster is a voiced-free fricative /θ/ followed by /r/. The /r/ may be subdued in non-rhotic accents, but the /θ/ remains audible. The stress remains on the first syllable, and the second syllable carries a long /iːn/. A useful tip is to avoid over-articulating the /r/ in non-rhotic dialects; let the /ɜː/ or /ɜr/ carry the coloration, then land the /tiːn/ cleanly.
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