How to pronounce “third”
Say “third” in one beat
third
/θɝd/
The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /θɜːd/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.
- thirdθɝd
- IPA (American)
- /θɝd/
- IPA (British)
- /θɜːd/
- Respelling
- THURD
- Syllables
- 1 — third
- Stress
- One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /θɝd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective, adverb
- Difficulty
- Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
American and British are not the same here
/θɝd/
/θɜːd/
No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.
What “third” means
- noun
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
“it contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement”
- noun
the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed near the third of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate)
“he is playing third”
- noun
following the second position in an ordering or series
“a distant third”
Say it in a sentence
“This is the third time she has visited that museum.”The sounds inside this word
Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.
“third”, answered
How do you pronounce “third”?
“third” is pronounced /θɝd/ (THURD) in American English and /θɜːd/ in British English — one syllable. It is one unbroken piece — /θɝd/ — with no pause anywhere inside it.
How many syllables does “third” have?
One, despite the 1 vowel letters in the spelling. The whole word is /θɝd/ — a single beat.
Is “third” said differently in British English?
Yes. American English says /θɝd/ (THURD); British English says /θɜːd/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.
What does “third” mean?
As a noun: one of three equal parts of a divisible whole For example: “it contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.
Where is the stress in “third”?
One syllable, so the whole word carries the beat — say /θɝd/ in one unbroken piece rather than clipping the vowel.
Now say “third” and see every sound
Record it once and sayit lines your audio up against the target sound by sound — what landed, what slipped, and what it sounded like instead.