thirty-sixth: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumNeutral
Quick answer
What does “thirty-sixth” mean?
The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number thirty-six.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number thirty-six; the position in a sequence following the thirty-fifth.
Used to denote the 36th item in a series, such as in dates, rankings, fractions, or measurements.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Pronunciation differs mainly in the rhoticity of 'thirty'; British English is non-rhotic, American English is rhotic. Hyphenation is standard in both, but may be omitted in informal American writing.
Connotations
None specific.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both variants.
Grammar
How to Use “thirty-sixth” in a Sentence
[ordinal] + nounthe + [ordinal] + of + nounVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thirty-sixth” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He is the thirty-sixth person in the queue.
American English
- She lives on the thirty-sixth floor of the building.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports for rankings, such as 'the company ranked thirty-sixth in the industry.'
Academic
Used in sequences, e.g., 'the thirty-sixth experiment in the series.'
Everyday
Common in dates and ages, e.g., 'Her thirty-sixth birthday is next week.'
Technical
Used in measurements and coordinates, e.g., 'the thirty-sixth parallel north.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thirty-sixth”
- Omitting the hyphen: writing 'thirty sixth' instead of 'thirty-sixth'.
- Mispronouncing 'sixth' as 'siksth' or 'six-th' with an extra vowel.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in standard writing, 'thirty-sixth' is hyphenated when used as an adjective or noun.
In American English, it is pronounced as /ˈθɜːrti sɪksθ/, with the 'r' in 'thirty' pronounced.
Yes, for example, 'He was the thirty-sixth to arrive.'
The common abbreviation is '36th'.
The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number thirty-six.
Thirty-sixth is usually neutral in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember that 'thirty-sixth' has a 'th' at the end of both parts: thirty-th and six-th, but combined as thirty-sixth.
Conceptual Metaphor
SEQUENCE IS POSITION ON A PATH; often used metaphorically to indicate progress or order.
Practice
Quiz
What is the ordinal form of thirty-six?