Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

three-way

/θɹˈiwˌeɪ/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.58 in modern English

Syllables: three--way
IPA: /θɹˈiwˌeɪ/

17

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Relating to three different directions.

noun

Sexual activity involving three individuals.

noun

A serving of Cincinnati chili with spaghetti and cheese.

noun

Synonym of three-card monte.

Example Sentences

"a three-way valve"
"a three-way junction"
"Three-aspect colour-light signal with three-way junction indicator, Bow Junction, Eastern Region"
"A guy Julian and you had a three-way with millions of years ago. I used to watch you guys screw through the keyhole sometimes."
"I had a three-way with two other women in my class."
"Is a three-way with a 21-year-old a bad idea for Richard's birthday?"

Etymology

The sense referring to a serving of Cincinnati chili was coined in the 1920s by Tom and John Kiradjieff, Slavic-Macedonian immigrants to Cincinnati, for their Empress Chili chain. Doublet of trivia.

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Food.

Inflected Forms

three-ways (plural) threeway (alternative)

Phrases

three-way girl three-way stop three-way switch

Frequently Paired Words

four-way five-way six-way

Synonyms

threesome ménage à trois three-card monte tripartite three-party

Rhymes With

freeway leeway seaway

Questions

How do you pronounce three-way?: The recorded pronunciation is /θɹˈiwˌeɪ/.
What does three-way mean?: Relating to three different directions.
Where does three-way come from?: The sense referring to a serving of Cincinnati chili was coined in the 1920s by Tom and John Kiradjieff, Slavic-Macedonian immigrants to Cincinnati, for their Empress Chili chain. Doublet of trivia.

How to pronounce three-way

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “three-way”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/θɹˈiwˌeɪ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “three-way”.
Repeat and practice — Say “three-way” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.