thirty-one: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “thirty-one” mean?
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of thirty and one.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of thirty and one; 31.
Used to denote a specific quantity, position in a sequence, or as a symbolic age (e.g., turning 31).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Hyphenation is standard in both varieties for compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “thirty-one” in a Sentence
[be] + thirty-one[number] + thirty-one[at] + thirty-one[turn] + thirty-oneVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thirty-one” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The score was thirty-oned in the old ledger. (rare, contextual)
American English
- He thirty-oned his opponent in the arcade game. (rare, slang)
adjective
British English
- She bought thirty-one different types of biscuit.
- He lives at the thirty-first floor.
American English
- She bought thirty-one different types of cookie.
- He lives on the thirty-first floor.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports, data, and statistics (e.g., 'Thirty-one units were sold').
Academic
Used in referencing, pagination, and quantitative data.
Everyday
Common for stating age, quantities, house numbers, and scores.
Technical
Used as a literal integer value in computing, mathematics, and engineering.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “thirty-one”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “thirty-one”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thirty-one”
- Writing as 'thirty one' without the hyphen.
- Incorrect pluralisation ('thirty-ones').
- Confusing with 'thirteen' (13) in rapid speech.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., thirty-one days) or as a simple numeral. The hyphen is standard for numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine.
The ordinal form is 'thirty-first' (31st).
Yes, it can function as a noun phrase (e.g., 'Thirty-one is a prime number').
The main auditory confusion is with 'thirteen' (13), especially in noisy environments. In writing, the hyphen helps prevent confusion with 'thirty one' as separate words.
The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of thirty and one.
Thirty-one is usually neutral in register.
Thirty-one: in British English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːti ˈwʌn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːrṭi ˈwʌn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Thirty-one flavours (referring to variety, from Baskin-Robbins ice cream)”
- “At sixes and sevens (idiom for confusion, not directly related but a contrasting number idiom)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a calendar: January has 31 days. 'Thirty' comes first, then 'one' joins it with a hyphen.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY IS A CONTAINER (e.g., 'a group of thirty-one'), SEQUENCE IS A PATH (e.g., 'the thirty-first step').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the correct written form for the number after thirty?