sixth
/sɪksθ/ (bre, ipa) · /sɪksθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsiks(t)th ˈsiks(t)/ (ame, mw)
sixth — ordinal number
1. coming after the fifth in a sequence and marking the position of a person or thi
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.
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]
The sixth chapter of the novel contains the most important clue.
Christopher parked his car on the sixth floor of the garage.
This is Soraya's sixth time visiting the national museum in Taipei.
文法句型
the sixth [noun]
[noun phrase] + sixth
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
sixth — noun
- sixthsingular
- sixthsplural
1. each of the six pieces you get when you split a whole into portions of matching
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.
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)
Mira added a sixth of a cup of honey to the sauce.
Niran spent roughly a sixth of his yearly income on rent.
Only a sixth of the farmland received enough rain this season.
文法句型
a sixth of [noun phrase]
one sixth of [noun phrase]
[number] sixths
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. the difference in pitch from one note to another note that lies six scale steps
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.
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)
Darius practiced the interval of a sixth on his guitar for weeks.
The composer wrote the two flute parts a sixth apart from each other.
文法句型
a sixth
interval of a sixth
[major/minor] sixth
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
3. a chord that uses the scale's third degree as its bass pitch, so the interval fr
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.
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.
Ramón played a sixth chord by placing the note E — the third of the C triad — in the bass.
Shirin learned to recognise a sixth chord by listening to the bass note.
文法句型
a sixth chord
play a sixth chord
in sixth chord position
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
4. a chord built from a major triad with an extra note a sixth above the root, prod
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.
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)
Lin added a sixth to the final chord of her bossa nova piece and the audience cheered.
Mauricio added a sixth to the last chord of his bossa nova piece.
文法句型
an added sixth
play an added sixth
chord with an added sixth
用法筆記
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.