how do you connect a 3 prong male plug to a 4 hole female receptacle?

You don't.

The 4 prong receptacle provides two phase, 1 neutral, and one ground connection.

The appliance connected to that plug only requires three of these connections.

The nameplate of the appliance concerned will tell you what they are and the amperage required.

The face of the plug should tell you the amperage provided.

If the Amp.s required are less than or equal to the Amp.s provided a connection

may be made by either replacing the plug or the cord and plug unit.

The color code for the wires will be as follows:

Phases - Red & Black, Neutral -White Ground -Bare or green

Do NOT interconnect neutral and ground

Dryer or range? Change the cord. You can go to the website for the maker of the appliance and download the installation instructions, it will include both three wire and four wire connections. Should look like this http://www.whirlpool.com/digitalassets/WEL98HEBU/I... , see page 9.

Do not change the receptacle, it will create an Electrical Code violation.

If you are talking about some other type of plug it would be helpful if you could post the configurations from a NEMA chart http://www.leadsdirect.co.uk/technical-library/nem...

YOU don't. The plugs have to match so they have corresponding ampacity and voltage. A 4 prong outlet is 220 volts. Not knowing what configuration of appliance you are trying to connect I can't tell you if you could switch the male plug to the matching type. Many 3 prong styles are only 110 volts.

what voltages are you trying to adapt to == any changes to mate a 240 volt appliance to the wall socket that is not the same needs to be done by a professional certified electrician .... for the SAFETY of your family and home [[ you too ]] THE COST of an electrician is certainly less than having a home fire and the dangers involved with loss of home and injury to family .... get some help with this changing of plugs and wall sockets .... Is your appliance a gas dryer for clothes ??? if so it is a 115volt appliance and it needs a regular plug wall socket ..... if your appliance is a range or an electric dryer then it is 240volts and you must hire an electrician to do the connections ,, Be SAFE ....

If this is a dryer or a range in North America you change the cord to match the receptacle.

Is the for a clothes dryer? If it is you need to buy a different plug for the dryer at the hardware store

You REPLACE the cord with a 4 prong cord.

You don't without an adapter