How to pronounce twentieth
Say it like TWEN-tee-uth. Twentieth has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce twentieth. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- TWEN
- tee
- uth
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Twentieth pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TWENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- teeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uthKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of twentieth
American and British speakers say twentieth in essentially the same way: /ˈtwɛntiəθ/ in the US and /ˈtwɛntiɪθ/ in the UK.
British respelling: TWEN-tee-ith.
What does twentieth mean?
- position 20 in a countable series of things
- coming next after the nineteenth in position
Where does twentieth come from?
twentith, twenteth is the expected development from Middle English twentithe, but in time, the opaque twent- was replaced by a more transparent twenty-, resulting in modern twentieth (in the speech varieties this occurred in, the weak vowel
Questions about saying twentieth
How do you pronounce twentieth?
Say TWEN-tee-uth. The American pronunciation is /ˈtwɛntiəθ/. In British English it is /ˈtwɛntiɪθ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in twentieth?
Twentieth has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (TWEN). Broken into parts: TWEN · tee · uth.
Do Americans and Brits say twentieth the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈtwɛntiəθ/ and the British form is /ˈtwɛntiɪθ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.