THUR-dee
/ˈθɝˌdi/
thirty is pronounced THUR-dee (/ˈθɝˌdi/). Thirty denotes the cardinal number equal to the sum of twenty and ten, and is used to express a specific point in time or quantity. It is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a final unstressed “tee” sound, and it often blends the final /t/ with the following /iː/ in casual speech. In context, it marks ages, dates, or counts and functions morphologically as a numeral adjective or noun.
Thirty denotes the cardinal number equal to the sum of twenty and ten, and is used to express a specific point in time or quantity. It is pronounced with a stressed first syllable and a final unstressed “tee” sound, and it often blends the final /t/ with the following /iː/ in casual speech. In context, it marks ages, dates, or counts and functions morphologically as a numeral adjective or noun.
"We’ll meet at thirty minutes past six."
"The product costs thirty dollars."
"She left at thirty-five, which is two years older than me."
Pronounce it as THIR-tee with primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US /ˈɜːrti/, UK /ˈθɜːti/, AU /ˈθɜːti/. Start with the voiceless dental fricative /θ/ (unvoiced th) or /ð/ in some accent liaison, move to /ɜː/ (mid-central to open-mid back vowel) in the stressed syllable, then a clear /r/ or rhotic approximant depending on accent, and finish with /ti/ or /tiː/.
3 common errors: (1) Substituting /θ/ with /s/ or /t/ in initial cluster, (2) Not fully vocalizing the /ɜː/ causing an /ɪ/ or /e/ sound, (3) Dropping the final /iː/ to a quick /i/ or reducing it to a schwa. Correction: practice the dental fricative by placing the tongue between the teeth, elongate the /ɜː/ vowel to a clear, centered mid-back vowel, and finish with a tense /iː/ to avoid vowel reduction.
In US, /ˈɜːrti/ with rhotic /r/; in UK, /ˈθɜːti/ with non-rhotic r, and a slightly longer /ɜː/ vowel; in Australian, /ˈθɜːti/ with a broad, rounded /ɜː/ and lightly rolled or approximant /r/ depending on region. The key differences are rhoticity, the length of the middle vowel, and the onset consonant: /θ/ vs /ð/ influence. IPA notes: US /ˈɝti/ (in many dialects), UK /ˈθɜːti/, AU /ˈθɜːti/.
Because it blends a voiceless dental fricative /θ/ (or /ð/) with a stressed mid-back vowel /ɜː/ and a high front tense /iː/ in rapid sequence. The tongue must flip from a dental fricative position to a high front position for /iː/ without pausing, and in fast speech the /t/ can weaken. The combination requires precise tongue placement, breath control, and timing to avoid substituting /s/ or /d/ and to prevent vowel reduction.
A unique aspect is the potential for slight vowel lowering in non-rhotic accents where /ɜː/ can dip slightly toward /ə/ before the following /ti/, producing a more centralized vowel sound. The onset /θ/ or /ð/ along with the following /ɜː/ demands careful tongue positioning—touching the back of front teeth for the fricative, then retracting to a relaxed mid-back vowel, followed by a tense /iː/.
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- US: rhotic /r/ after the vowel, longer /ɜː/; avoid vowel reduction in careful speech. - UK: non-rhotic /r/, slightly shorter /ɜː/; keep the /θ/ clear and avoid lip rounding that alters /θ/. - AU: often clipped but clear /θ/; maintain tense /iː/ and relatively broad /ɜː/; focus on a flatter intonation in statements.
The word thirty comes from Old English thrīti, from Proto-Germanic þritizi, related to the number three and ten. It reflects a decimal counting system inherited from Proto-Indo-European roots for three and ten, fused through historical sound changes such as the loss of final -ən in unstressed syllables and the simplification of consonant clusters. The earliest attested form in English appears in late Old English, with “thirti” evolving into the Middle English thirti and eventually modern thirty. The semantic use—denoting the quantity of ten tens or three tens—reflects the base-10 numeral framework that dominated medieval Europe. Over time, “thirty” extended beyond pure arithmetic to temporal and indexing uses, including dates (the thirtieth day) and age markers, while remaining a straightforward cardinal numeral in contemporary usage.
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Words that rhyme with "thirty"
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