Today we’re going to talk about the pair ‘thirteen’ and ‘thirty’.

We’re gonna talk specifically about this pair, but also learn the general rule when it comes to the difference between ‘teens’ – like 13, 14, 15, and ‘tens’ – like 30, 40, 50, etc.

All right. So the first pair – 13 and 30. They begin the same – ‘thir’. To make this syllable bring the tongue out for the TH. It’s a soft TH sound. Release air – Th-th, and then pull the tongue in for the R – thir -directly. So it’s kinda like you disregard the vowel that is there. There is no vowel, it’s just the TH pulling in for an R. Thir, Thir.

For the R tongue pulls to the middle of the mouth, the lips round a bit, and the sides of the tongue push the insides of the upper teeth. ‘Thir’

Then, listen to the difference between the two: Thir-TEEN – THIR-ty. Thir-TEEN – THIR-ty. The difference here, the biggest difference lies in the stress. In the first word, the stress is on the second syllable.

What is stress? Stress is the syllable. A stressed syllable is the syllable that is longer, louder, and higher in pitch than the rest. thir-TEEN versus THIR-ty. Here the stress is on the FIRST syllable – THIR-ty. [‘TAda] – [TaTA]. thir-TEEN – THIR-ty.

Also, the stress affects the pronunciation of the T sound. Because in the first word we have thir-TEEN. It’s a strong aspirated T because it’s at the beginning of a stressed syllable.

Versus THIR-ty. Here it’s a flap T, So it sounds like a D: THIR-dy.

thir-TEEN. And of course, there is the N at the end of the first word, of the ‘teens’. And that’s very important to bring your tongue up to get to the N sound, alright? So it’s not thir-TEEN and thir-TY, okay? Then it sounds too similar. Thir-TEEN – THIR-ty.

Same thing for ‘four-TEEN’ – ‘FOR-ty’. Okay? four-TEEN – stress is on the second syllable – and FORty.

fif-TEEN – FIF-ty.

six-TEEN – SIX-ty.

Seven-TEEN – SEVEN-ty.

Alright, you can keep going with the rest of the numbers. And now, when you ask your thirty dollars back, you won’t get only thirteen because you’ll say it correctly!

So, good. I hope I helped.