three

A1 Topic:Numbers & Quantity

US /θriː/ UK /θɹiː/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like free /θ/ vs /f/ Sounds like tree /θ/ vs /t/

Freq #223

Meanings

1

num
The number 3.

She has three children.
2

noun
The number 3, or something representing it.

Put all the threes in a separate pile.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms threes

Derived forms couple-threeone-two-threethirteenthree-and-outthree-baggerthree-ballthree-camerathree-corneredthree-cueingthree-deckerthree-dimensionalthree-dimensionality

Related forms iiithird thrice triple

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

three-course dinner
an evening meal consisting of three separate dishes: starter, main, and dessert

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (10)

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Tongue twisters (1)

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Three Tinkering Tailors
Three tinkering tailors totally tired.

Begin three with /θ/, then switch to /t/ at the start of tinkering, tailors, totally and tired. Keep the /t/ starts light and clear.

Simplified etymology

Three is an Old English word that shares an ancient root with Latin tres and Greek treis.

Etymology

From Middle English thre, threo, thrie, thri, from Old English þrī, from Proto-West Germanic *þrīʀ, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Doublet of tres and trey. Cognate with German drei, Albanian tre, Armenian երեք (erekʻ), Latin trēs, Latvian trīs, Lithuanian trỹs, Greek τρεῖς (treís), Old Church Slavonic трьѥ (trĭje), and others.

thre Middle English þrī Old English *þrīʀ Proto-West Germanic *þrīz Proto-Germanic *tréyes Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Numbers & Quantity

External links

# three

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** num, noun
**IPA (US):** /θriː/
**IPA (UK):** /θɹiː/
**Frequency rank:** 223

## Meanings
1. The number 3.
2. The number 3, or something representing it.

## Examples
- She has three children.
- Put all the threes in a separate pile.

## Derived Forms
- couple-three
- one-two-three
- thirteen
- three-and-out
- three-bagger
- three-ball
- three-camera
- three-cornered
- three-cueing
- three-decker
- three-dimensional
- three-dimensionality

## Related Forms
- iii
- third
- thrice
- triple

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: thre
- Root: þrī
- Root: *þrīʀ
- Root: *þrīz
- Root: *tréyes

## Etymology
From Middle English thre, threo, thrie, thri, from Old English þrī, from Proto-West Germanic *þrīʀ, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Doublet of tres and trey. Cognate with German drei, Albanian tre, Armenian երեք (erekʻ), Latin trēs, Latvian trīs, Lithuanian trỹs, Greek τρεῖς (treís), Old Church Slavonic трьѥ (trĭje), and others.

## AI Etymology
Three is from Middle English thre, threo, thrie, thri, from Old English þrī, from Proto-West Germanic *þrīʀ, from Proto-Germanic *þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. Doublet of tres and trey. Cognate with German drei, Albanian tre, Armenian երեք (erekʻ), Latin trēs, Latvian trīs, Lithuanian trỹs, Greek τρεῖς (treís), Old Church Slavonic трьѥ (trĭje), and others. In present-day use, it can mean the number 3, or the number 3, or something representing it. Derived formations include couple-three, one-two-three, thirteen, three-and-out, three-bagger, three-ball, three-camera, three-cornered.

## Topics
- Numbers & Quantity

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three

Meanings

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

Proverbs (10)

Tongue twisters (1)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

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