Is 'thirty-second' ever used to mean '30 seconds'?

No. 'Thirty seconds' is the phrase for 30 units of time. 'Thirty-second' is either an ordinal number (32nd) or a fraction (1/32).

What is the musical symbol for a thirty-second note?

It is a filled-in oval notehead with a stem and three flags or beams. In British English, it is called a 'demisemiquaver'.

How do I write the ordinal number '32nd' in words?

You write it as 'thirty-second'. Always hyphenate compound numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine when they are ordinals or fractions.

Is 'a thirty-second' common in everyday conversation?

It is very rare in casual talk. It is predominantly found in technical, musical, scientific, or financial contexts where high precision is required.

Is “thirty-second” formal?

Thirty-second is usually formal, technical, academic in register.

How do you pronounce “thirty-second”?

Thirty-second: in British English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːti ˈsekənd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːrti ˈsekənd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

thirty-second: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/ˌθɜːti ˈsekənd/US/ˌθɜːrti ˈsekənd/

Formal, Technical, Academic

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “thirty-second” mean?

A part equal to one of thirty-two equal parts of a whole.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A part equal to one of thirty-two equal parts of a whole; the ordinal number corresponding to thirty-two.

In music, a note or rest with a duration equal to 1/32 of a whole note; in timing, an extremely brief moment; in classification, the position or rank between thirty-first and thirty-third.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or primary use. Spelling is consistent.

Connotations

Neutral in both. Technical precision.

Frequency

More frequent in technical domains (engineering, music, printing) than in everyday speech in both variants.

Grammar

How to Use “thirty-second” in a Sentence

thirty-second of [noun]the thirty-second [noun][noun] by a thirty-second

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

thirty-second notethirty-second restthirty-second of an inch

medium

a thirty-second partthirty-second placethe thirty-second day

weak

thirty-second yearthirty-second anniversarythirty-second chapter

Examples

Examples of “thirty-second” in a Sentence

verb

British English

This process cannot be thirty-seconded; it requires the full procedure.

adjective

British English

He finished in thirty-second place in the marathon.

American English

The thirty-second chapter of the book was the most thrilling.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Used in precise financial instruments or specifications, e.g., 'The bond price moved up by a thirty-second.'

Academic

In mathematics for fractions; in history for ordinal ranking.

Everyday

Rare. Possibly in very precise measurements (e.g., DIY) or discussing competition rankings.

Technical

Common in music theory (note duration), engineering (tolerances), printing (measurements).

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “thirty-second”

Strong

demisemiquaver (British musical equivalent for note)

Neutral

1/32one thirty-second

Weak

tiny fractionsmall sliverminute portion

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “thirty-second”

whole entirety bulk majority

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “thirty-second”

Writing '32th' instead of '32nd' or 'thirty-second'.
Pronouncing it as 'thirty two' without the ordinal '-second' sound.
Using 'thirty seconds' (time) when the fraction is intended.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No. 'Thirty seconds' is the phrase for 30 units of time. 'Thirty-second' is either an ordinal number (32nd) or a fraction (1/32).
: It is a filled-in oval notehead with a stem and three flags or beams. In British English, it is called a 'demisemiquaver'.
: You write it as 'thirty-second'. Always hyphenate compound numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine when they are ordinals or fractions.
: It is very rare in casual talk. It is predominantly found in technical, musical, scientific, or financial contexts where high precision is required.
: A part equal to one of thirty-two equal parts of a whole.
: Thirty-second is usually formal, technical, academic in register.
: Thirty-second: in British English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːti ˈsekənd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌθɜːrti ˈsekənd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“Not applicable.”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of cutting a pizza into 32 slices. One slice is a thirty-second. The ordinal is simply 'thirty' plus '-second' like 'twenty-second'.

Conceptual Metaphor

PRECISION IS SMALL DIVISIONS (the thirty-second represents a high degree of measured precision).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The specification called for a tolerance of no more than one of an inch.

Multiple Choice

In which context is 'thirty-second' MOST likely to be used?