Hindi · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "तीन" in Hindi?

Q: How do you pronounce तीन in Hindi?

तीन is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /t̪iːn/. It means “three.” Looks like English "teen," sounds different in both consonants: dental unaspirated t at the front, dental n at the back.

Looks like English "teen," sounds different in both consonants: dental unaspirated t at the front, dental n at the back.

तीन /t̪iːn/

teen

Single heavy syllable, long vowel plus coda; nothing to negotiate rhythmically. The interest lies in the fact that both consonants are dental, so the tongue tip stays parked at the teeth for the whole word.

Listen: तीन

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Sound it out

t त with the tongue tip on the upper teeth and absolutely no puff of air — English "teen" starts with a strongly aspirated alveolar t, which is two errors in one segment.

ee Long ई, tense and clear. This one English does supply correctly.

n Dental न to close, again on the teeth rather than the ridge, which gives the whole word a forward, bright quality.

Hear it in a sentence

अभी तीन बजे हैं।

Abhee teen baje haiṁ.

It's three o'clock.

Listen: अभी तीन बजे हैं।

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"Abhee teen baje haiṁ" uses baje, the oblique form used in telling time, and the verb agrees as plural haiṁ because the hours are counted. Note abhee's breathy-voiced bh at the start — an easy sound to flatten right before the numeral.

Where English speakers slip

Because the roman spelling is identical to an English word, almost nobody adjusts anything. Say English "teen" and you produce an aspirated alveolar t, which lands between Hindi त and ट and carries a puff that belongs to थ. Park the tongue on the teeth, hold the breath, and the difference is immediately audible.