2 syllables: Twen, ty. Stress on Twen.
TWEN-tee
/ˈtwɛnti/
Twenty is pronounced TWEN-tee (/ˈtwɛnti/). It has two syllables (Twen-ty), with the stress on "Twen". Twenty is a cardinal number used to denote the sum of two tens. It is commonly used as a unit of age, quantity, or time, and appears in various phrases such as “twenty-one,” “twenty percent,” and “twenty minutes.” It is pronounced with two syllables and a stress on the first syllable, and its pronunciation can reveal subtle vowel and consonant patterns characteristic of English.
nounTwenty is a cardinal number used to denote the sum of two tens. It is commonly used as a unit of age, quantity, or time, and appears in various phrases such as “twenty-one,” “twenty percent,” and “twenty minutes.” It is pronounced with two syllables and a stress on the first syllable, and its pronunciation can reveal subtle vowel and consonant patterns characteristic of English.
"She turned twenty yesterday and celebrated with friends."
"Twenty people RSVP’d for the meeting this afternoon."
"The shop offers twenty percent off all items this weekend."
Pronounce as two syllables: /ˈtwɛn.ti/. Start with a stressed /twɛn/ where the tongue sits high‑front and the lips are spread, then glide into a light, unstressed /ti/ with a near‑close front vowel. In connected speech, you may hear a slight reduction to /ˈtwɛn.tɪ/ in rapid speech, but careful pronunciation keeps /ti/ clear. For reference, listen to native clips on Pronounce or Forvo to hear standard US/UK variants.
Common mistakes include reducing the first syllable to /ˈtwæn/ or misplacing the vowel as /ɪ/ or /iː/ in the first syllable. Some learners also run the /t/ into the /w/ making a blended /twi/ instead of a clean /twɛn/. To correct: keep /tw/ as a cluster, deliver /ˈtwɛn/ with the mid front vowel, and then clearly articulate /ti/ with a light, short /i/ sound. Practice at a slow pace with minimal pairs.
In US English, /ˈtwɛn.ti/ is rhotic and precise on /t/; in many UK varieties you’ll hear a crisp /twɛn.ti/ with slightly tensed /e/; Australian English often reduces the final vowel a touch and may fuse the /t/ to a softer stop, giving a slightly flatter /ˈtwɛn.dʒi/?—note: most speakers preserve /ti/ clearly. Overall, the core nosing syllable is /ˈtwɛn/ with a definite, non‑rhotic lengthening of the second syllable in some dial.
The challenge lies in the /tw/ onset, the mid front vowel in /twɛn/, and the following /ti/ where the tongue must move quickly from the mid front vowel to a high front vowel. Non‑native speakers often merge /ɛn/ to /ɛn/ or reduce the final /i/ to a schwa. Practice keeping a clean/tensed /tw/ onset, ensuring the /ɛ/ is distinct, and delivering the final /i/ as a short, crisp vowel.
A common nuance is whether the /t/ is strongly released or lightly tapped in rapid speech. In careful speech you’ll hear a clear /t/ release between /twɛn/ and /ti/. In casual speech you may hear a softened or even elided release in rapid phrases like "twenty‑four" where the following word influences the boundary. Focus on maintaining the first stressed syllable /ˈtwɛn/ and a distinct /ti/ to preserve clarity.
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- US vs UK vs AU: /ˈtwɛn.ti/ is standard, with US often maintaining a crisper /t/ release; UK may show a slightly tensed /e/ in /ɛm/ region and a flatter final /ti/; AU often exhibits a softer /t/ and slightly reduced second vowel length. Vowel references: /ɛ/ as in bet, /i/ as in see. - In US, rhoticity affects surrounding vowels in connected speech; you may hear /ˈtwɛn.ti/ with clear r-colored vowel only if adjacent words require it. - Pay attention to the boundary between /n/ and /t/: avoid a nasalising /n/ into /t/; keep a clean pause or light alveolar release. - IPA anchors: US /ˈtwɛn.ti/, UK /ˈtwent.i/ (less vowel height difference), AU /ˈtwɛn.ti/.
Twenty derives from Old English twēntī, from Germanic roots tied to the notion of two tens. The form evolved from Proto-Germanic *twegti, with cognates appearing in several Germanic languages. The early usage in Old English tended to express the quantity as a composite of two tens, reflecting a base-ten counting system. Over time, Middle English simplified the pronunciation and spelling to twenty, aligning with other round-number formations in Germanic languages. The earliest documented use in English texts appears in medieval glossaries and legal documents, where precise counts were essential for trade, taxation, and dating events. The word’s durability stems from its role as a foundational numeral in counting from twenty onward, and its phonological structure has remained relatively stable despite broader shifts in vowel quality and consonant articulation across English dialects.
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Words that rhyme with "Twenty"
-me) sounds
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