sixth

IPA/sɪksθ/

KK[sˈɪksθ]IPA/sɪksθ/

1.ordinal numberA1

Definition

coming after the fifth in a sequence and marking the position of a person or thing in a numbered order — for example, the sixth person in a line, the sixth day of the month, or the sixth item on a list.

Example

Brooke finished sixth in the race and received a small trophy.

ordinal after a verb: finished sixth

Hao's birthday party is on the sixth of March this year.

dates: the sixth of [month]

Common collocations

sixth time
sixth floor
sixth grade
sixth sense
sixth position
in sixth place

Grammar Patterns

the sixth [noun]

[noun phrase] + sixth

Usage Note

When giving a date in written British English, 'sixth' follows 'the' (the sixth of May). In American English the month is usually written first with no 'the' (May sixth). Both styles are acceptable in Taiwan.

Common Mistakes

I am in the six grade.

I am in the sixth grade.

ordinal numbers end in '-th' (or '-st', '-nd', '-rd' for 1, 2, 3) and must not be replaced by the base number.

He came in six place.

He came in sixth place.

use the ordinal form, not the cardinal number, when describing position in a ranking.

sixthsingular
sixthsplural

1.nounA2

Definition

each of the six pieces you get when you split a whole into portions of matching size — for example, a sixth of a pizza, a sixth of an hour, or a sixth of the total cost.

Example

Wren divided the chocolate cake into sixths so that everyone got an equal piece.

plural: into sixths (division)

About a sixth of the students at the school come from other countries.

a sixth of + noun phrase (approximate quantity)

Common collocations

a sixth of
one sixth
five sixths
into sixths
about a sixth
roughly a sixth

Synonyms

part
a general word for a portion; does not specify that it is one of exactly six equal pieces
portion
suggests a share or serving; more formal and less precise about equal division
fraction
any numerical part of a whole; a sixth is a specific type of fraction

Grammar Patterns

a sixth of [noun phrase]

one sixth of [noun phrase]

[number] sixths

Usage Note

When the whole is plural, 'sixth' takes 'of' plus a plural noun (a sixth of the students). In fractions, 'sixth' can combine with other numbers: five sixths, seven sixths. The plural form 'sixths' is used when referring to multiple equal parts.

Common Mistakes

He ate sixth of the pizza.

He ate a sixth of the pizza.

always include the article 'a' or 'one' before 'sixth' when it means a fraction.

She owns three sixth of the company.

She owns three sixths of the company.

when the number before 'sixth' is greater than one, 'sixth' must be plural ('sixths').

2.nounB2

Definition

the difference in pitch from one note to another note that lies six scale steps away — for example, the jump from the note C to the note A is a sixth.

Example

Élise played a perfect sixth on the piano during her music exam.

perfect sixth (specific interval quality)

The melody rises by a sixth in the chorus, giving it a dramatic feel.

by a sixth (direction and interval)

Common collocations

major sixth
minor sixth
interval of a sixth
a sixth apart
by a sixth
rise a sixth

Grammar Patterns

a sixth

interval of a sixth

[major/minor] sixth

Usage Note

In music theory, a sixth can be major (9 half-steps, e.g. C to A), minor (8 half-steps, e.g. C to A-flat), or perfect (only in certain contexts). This sense is distinct from 'sixth chord' (sense 3) and 'added sixth' (sense 4), which describe specific types of chords, not the interval itself.

Common Mistakes

The notes are a sixth chord apart.

The notes are a sixth apart.

'sixth chord' is a type of chord (sense 3), not a way to describe distance between two notes. Use 'sixth' alone for the interval.

3.nounC1

Definition

a chord that uses the scale's third degree as its bass pitch, so the interval from bass to highest note is a sixth — also called a first‑inversion triad in classical harmony.

Example

The pianist played a sixth chord with the third of the triad as the lowest note.

sixth chord: third of the triad in the bass

Ignacio's composition ended with a gentle sixth chord that left the audience smiling.

Common collocations

sixth chord position
first-inversion sixth chord
play a sixth chord

Grammar Patterns

a sixth chord

play a sixth chord

in sixth chord position

Usage Note

Frequently encountered in classical music analysis and theory textbooks. Do not confuse this with the 'added sixth' chord (sense 4), which keeps the root as the lowest note and adds an extra sixth above it. In a sixth chord (sense 3), the third of the triad is the bass note.

Common Mistakes

A sixth chord adds a sixth above the root.

A sixth chord has the third of the triad as the lowest note.

the term 'sixth chord' (first inversion) is different from an 'added sixth' chord. The naming comes from the interval between the bass and the top note, not from adding a note.

4.nounC1

Definition

a chord built from a major triad with an extra note a sixth above the root, producing a warm or slightly jazzy sound — often used in popular music and jazz harmony.

Example

The guitarist played a C major chord and added the note A for a sixth chord sound.

added sixth: concrete operation (C major + A note)

Mateo learned to play an added sixth on his ukulele during music camp.

play an added sixth (instrument + chord)

Common collocations

added sixth chord
play an added sixth
chord with an added sixth

Grammar Patterns

an added sixth

play an added sixth

chord with an added sixth

Usage Note

This sense is often shortened to just 'a sixth' in informal jazz contexts, but in music theory the full term 'added sixth' avoids confusion with the interval (sense 2) or the sixth chord (sense 3). Common in pop, jazz, and bossa nova styles.

Idioms

sixth sense

idiom

an ability to know or feel something without using any of the five normal physical senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell); often used to describe intuition or a special awareness.

Mira seemed to have a sixth sense about when the train would arrive.

The old farmer had a sixth sense for predicting changes in the weather.

Word family

six
numberA1
sixteen
numberA2
sixty
numberA2
sixthly
adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words can refer to a piece of a whole, but each has a different emphasis. 'Part' is the most general and neutral — it simply means a piece that together with others makes up something larger; you could say 'a part of the land' but that does not tell you how large the part is. 'Portion' suggests a specific amount or serving, often measured or assigned: 'a portion of rice' or 'a portion of the budget.' 'Share' emphasizes what someone receives or is entitled to: 'her share of the inheritance' implies a fair or expected division. 'Segment' often implies a natural or logical division, like a segment of an orange or a market segment. Among these, only 'sixth' makes the mathematical meaning of exactly one of six equal parts explicit — 'a sixth of the farmland' is precise, while 'a part of the farmland' is vague. Use 'sixth' when the exact fraction matters; use the other synonyms when only a more general sense of 'some portion' is needed.

part ↗portion ↗share ↗segment ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

sixth sense

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'sixth' comes from Old English 'siexta', which was built from 'siex' (the number six) plus the ordinal suffix '-ta', a relative of the modern '-th' that is used to turn numbers into ordinals (as in 'fourth', 'fifth', 'seventh'). The spelling shifted through Middle English to its modern form, but the structure has remained stable for over a thousand years.

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sixth

sixth — ordinal number

1. coming after the fifth in a sequence and marking the position of a person or thi

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

sixth — noun

1. each of the six pieces you get when you split a whole into portions of matching

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. the difference in pitch from one note to another note that lies six scale steps

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. a chord that uses the scale's third degree as its bass pitch, so the interval fr

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

4. a chord built from a major triad with an extra note a sixth above the root, prod

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

sixth sense

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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