37. Pronunciation: The TH Sounds

Overview

English th spells two different sounds, and both are made with the tongue between the teeth. Indian languages have no such sound, so th is commonly replaced with a dental t or d. That substitution is the single most recognisable marker of an Indian accent in English.

Both target sounds use the same tongue position. Only the voice changes.

Key Rules

  1. 1. Voiceless /th/: tongue out, no voice

    Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your front teeth. Blow air over it without using your voice. Your throat stays silent and you should feel air on your tongue tip.

    Show example Example

    think, three, thanks, month, both, path

  2. 2. Voiced /th/: same position, voice on

    Keep exactly the same tongue position, then turn your voice on. You should feel a vibration in your throat and on your tongue. This sound appears in the most frequent words in English.

    Show example Example

    this, that, they, mother, breathe, with

  3. 3. Do not substitute t or d

    The common substitution puts the tongue behind the teeth instead of between them. The listener hears 'dis' for 'this' and 'tank' for 'thank'. The tongue tip must be visible between the teeth.

    Show example Example

    Compare: 'they' (tongue out) against 'day' (tongue behind teeth).

  4. 4. Function words carry the voiced sound

    The, this, that, these, those, they, them, there, then and than are among the most used words in English, and every one takes the voiced sound. Fixing this one sound improves a very large share of your speech.

    Show example Example

    The, this, that, these, those, they, them, there, then, than

Example Sentences

  1. Example 1

    I think these three brothers are thirty years old.

    Why this works

    Mixes voiceless ('think', 'three', 'thirty') and voiced ('these', 'brothers') in one line.

  2. Example 2

    They thanked their mother for the birthday gift.

    Why this works

    'They', 'their' and 'mother' are voiced; 'thanked' and 'birthday' are voiceless.

  3. Example 3

    Both of them breathed through their mouths.

    Why this works

    'Both' and 'through' voiceless, 'them', 'breathed' and 'their' voiced.

  4. Example 4

    That is the thing that bothers me the most.

    Why this works

    Six th words in nine syllables. Read slowly, keeping the tongue tip visible.

Common Errors

  • I tink dis is de best option.

    I think this is the best option.

    Why?

    Substituting t and d for the two th sounds

  • Tank you for your help.

    Thank you for your help.

    Why?

    Stopping the air with the tongue behind the teeth instead of letting it flow between them

  • Using the voiceless sound in 'the' and 'this'

    Using the voiced sound, with the throat vibrating

    Why?

    Applying one th sound to every spelling of th

  • Pushing the tongue far out of the mouth

    Letting just the tip show between the teeth

    Why?

    Overcorrecting, which slows your speech and sounds unnatural

Key Takeaways

  • Both th sounds use one tongue position: the tip between the teeth.
  • Voiceless th (think, three, path) has no throat vibration.
  • Voiced th (this, they, mother) has throat vibration.
  • Never substitute t or d. That places the tongue behind the teeth.
  • The most common English function words all take the voiced sound, so this one fix pays off everywhere.

Live speaking practice

Speak it out: The TH Sounds

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Next lesson 38. Pronunciation: Word Stress →