thirty: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very High (A1)Formal, Informal, Technical (in sports). All registers.
Quick answer
What does “thirty” mean?
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of ten and three.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of ten and three; 30.
Also used to refer to the age of thirty years, the thirtieth item in a series, or the score of thirty points in a game (e.g., tennis).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or use. Spelling and pronunciation differences align with general BrE/AmE patterns.
Connotations
Identical. Can connote a milestone age ("the dirty thirty") or a generational cohort (e.g., thirty-somethings).
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “thirty” in a Sentence
NUM + N (thirty books)PREP + NUM (at thirty)NUM + of + NP (thirty of them)be + NUM (He is thirty.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thirty” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The journalist decided to thirty the article after the final paragraph.
- (Journalism slang, rare).
American English
- He 'thirtyed' his last report with a sense of relief.
- (Journalism slang, rare).
adverb
British English
- Not standardly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not standardly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- She is in her thirty-first year.
American English
- It's a thirty-day warranty.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The project must be delivered within thirty days."
Academic
"The sample size was increased to thirty participants."
Everyday
"I'll be there in about thirty minutes."
Technical
"The server maintained a constant thirty frames per second."
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “thirty”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “thirty”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thirty”
- Spelling: *'thrity' (missing 'i'), *'therty' (vowel error). Pronunciation: */ˈsɜːrti/ (th-fronting or substitution with /s/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'thirty' is the word form and '30' is the numeral form. They are used in different contexts (e.g., 'thirty apples' vs. 'a score of 30').
It is not. 'Thirty' begins with the voiceless 'th' /θ/ (as in 'thin', 'three'). The voiced /ð/ (as in 'this', 'that') is found in words like 'this', 'that', 'the', 'there'.
It is a noun or adjective referring to a person between the ages of 30 and 39, often used to describe a life stage or demographic cohort.
Ordinal: thirtieth (30th). Fractional: one thirtieth (1/30). For example, 'the thirtieth day' or 'one thirtieth of the total'.
The cardinal number equivalent to the product of ten and three.
Thirty is usually formal, informal, technical (in sports). all registers. in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Thirty pieces of silver (betrayal payment)”
- “Thirty thousand feet view (broad perspective)”
- “Dirty thirty (30th birthday)”
- “-30- (end of story, journalism)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'thir-' from 'third' and '-ty' from 'twenty'. It's the number that comes after the third decade (i.e., after 29).
Conceptual Metaphor
A GATEWAY (to middle age), a MEASURE OF QUANTITY, a MILESTONE.
Practice
Quiz
What is the historical/journalistic use of 'thirty' (often written as -30-)?