three hours: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “three hours” mean?
A period of time equal to 180 minutes or one-eighth of a day.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A period of time equal to 180 minutes or one-eighth of a day.
Often used to denote a significant or specific duration for activities, events, or processes, sometimes implying adequacy or excess depending on context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal; both dialects use the phrase similarly, but American English may use hyphenated 'three-hour' as an adjective more frequently in compound nouns.
Connotations
Generally neutral; in both dialects, it can connote a long or short time based on context, such as in work or leisure.
Frequency
Equally common in both British and American English across various contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “three hours” in a Sentence
[verb] for three hoursthree hours of [noun][adjective] three-hour periodVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “three hours” in a Sentence
adverb
British English
- They queued for three hours in the rain.
- The concert went on for three hours.
American English
- They lined up for three hours outside the store.
- The game lasted three hours.
adjective
British English
- The three-hour delay caused chaos.
- She enjoyed a three-hour theatre performance.
American English
- The three-hour wait was tedious.
- He scheduled a three-hour conference call.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The project requires three hours of dedicated effort each week.
Academic
Students must complete three hours of laboratory work per session.
Everyday
I usually watch TV for three hours in the evening.
Technical
The system has a downtime of three hours for maintenance.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “three hours”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “three hours”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “three hours”
- Using 'three hour' without the 's'
- Incorrect preposition use, e.g., 'during three hours' instead of 'for three hours'.
- Misspelling 'hours' as 'our' or 'hour'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'hours' is the plural of 'hour', so it should always be 'three hours' when referring to duration.
In informal contexts, it might be abbreviated as '3 hrs', but in formal writing, 'three hours' is preferred.
In British English, it's /θriː ˈaʊəz/ with a long vowel and non-rhotic ending; in American English, it's /θri ˈaʊərz/ with a rhotic 'r' sound.
Common errors include dropping the 's' in 'hours', using wrong prepositions like 'in three hours' for duration, or confusing it with 'three-hour' as an adjective.
A period of time equal to 180 minutes or one-eighth of a day.
Three hours is usually neutral in register.
Three hours: in British English it is pronounced /θriː ˈaʊəz/, and in American English it is pronounced /θri ˈaʊərz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine three hours as the length of a long movie or a typical flight between nearby cities.
Conceptual Metaphor
Time is a resource; three hours is a measurable quantity that can be allocated, consumed, or invested.
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is a correct collocation with 'three hours'?