WORD STUDY
How to pronounce three /θriː/
Connect /θ/ to English r in three, then finish with /iː/. Learn the tongue transition and practice a clear one-syllable word.
Broad IPA phonetic notation · general American / British
US /THrē/ · UK /θriː/Syllables: 1
How to read these pronunciations
One reference reading per word and accent. Words such as read and wind can have other readings; this lookup does not choose by sentence meaning. Synthesized speech may use a different reading.
American results use dictionary respelling, as in ber. British results use broad IPA, as in /beə/. The sound chart and IPA lessons teach IPA separately. ˈ marks main stress and ˌ secondary stress; single-syllable words omit them.
American respelling key
- a
- cat
- ā
- day
- ä
- father
- e
- bed
- ē
- see
- i
- sit
- ī
- my
- ō
- go
- ô
- law
- o͞o
- food
- o͝o
- foot
- oi
- boy
- ou
- now
- ə
- cup, about
- ər
- bird, teacher
- er
- bear
- ir
- hear
- CH
- chip
- j
- jump
- SH
- ship
- ZH
- vision
- TH
- thin
- T͟H
- this
- NG
- sing
- y
- yes
Independently converted open dictionary data, using Oxford-style notation conventions. Not Oxford or Google dictionary content, and not affiliated with either publisher. Conversion does not verify every word or reproduce a particular dictionary edition.
Sources, conversion rules and licenses · US MIT · UK GPL-3.0
Meaning
The number 3.
After /θ/, draw the tongue back for English r without tapping the roof of your mouth. Then move into /iː/. Broad IPA uses /r/ for the English r sound; its exact shape varies by speaker.
Your practice sequence
- Practice the transition /θr/ slowly without inserting a vowel.
- Add /iː/ and keep three in one syllable.
- Say “three green trees”. Slow down when the two consonants become unclear.
Three green trees.
Build the sound, step by step
Find each sound in the phonetics chart, then return here to practise it inside the word.
Explore the sound chart ↗Updated 16 September 2026