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The th sound: how to pronounce th

By Will SalisburyUpdated

English has two th sounds. The voiceless /θ/ is in think, three and bath, and the voiced /ð/ is in this, that and mother. For both, touch the back of your top front teeth with the tip of your tongue and let the air flow. When you practise slowly, you can let the tip show a little between your teeth. For /ð/, add your voice.

1 · Read the problems2 · One lesson a day3 · Review your mistakes4 · Go round again

1 · Pronunciation

Hear it, see it, say it

IELTS tip. The th sounds appear in some of the most common words in English, including the, this, that, they, think and thing. In the Speaking test, a clear th in these small words makes your whole speech clearer. Practise a few phrases that you will use in Part 1, such as 'I think that', 'the three of us' and 'my brother and I'.

How to make it

  1. Touch the back of your top front teeth with the tip of your tongue, without biting it.
  2. For /θ/, blow air out gently with no voice: 'think'.
  3. For /ð/, make the same shape and turn on your voice so you feel a buzz: 'this'.
  4. Pull the tongue back quickly into the next sound, without a stop.

think, thing, three, this, that, mother, bath, bathe, teeth, breathe

Quick answers

How do you pronounce th in English?

Touch the back of your top front teeth lightly with the tip of your tongue and let air flow. Use no voice for think, and add your voice for this.

When is th voiced and when is it voiceless?

It is voiced in grammar words like the, this and they, and in words like mother and brother. It is voiceless in most other words, such as think, three and month.

Can I say s or t instead of th in IELTS?

Many learners do, and they can still be understood in context. But a clear th avoids confusion between words like think and sink, and it makes your speech sound more natural.

Why is th so hard?

Many languages have no th sounds. The tongue position is unfamiliar, and the sounds look similar in spelling but differ in voice.

Read the full lesson: The th sound: how to pronounce th