These, Three, Things...
These, three, things… 3 simple words. I’m positive you understand what the words mean in French. Now try saying them.
It isn’t easy is it… Why are they difficult to pronounce?
BECAUSE the ‘TH’ sounds that are used in English don’t exist in French and the muscles in the mouth, and tongue aren’t exercised in the same way to produce the sounds. It’s the same for me when I speak French. There are certain sounds that I didn’t use until I started speaking French.
In the short video below, I’ll show you how to practice the ‘TH’ sounds to improve your pronunciation.
I’m positive you understand what the words mean in French. Now try saying them.
What must I do with my tongue?
There are 2 ‘TH’ sounds in English. They are represented using 2 phonetic symbols – / ð / and / θ /. For a complete phonetic chart click here.
Click on the letters to hear the sounds. Watch the video to see a short explanation about how we form the sounds.
Now it's your turn
Below, I’ve added a list frequently used words, that include both ‘TH’ sounds. The list is a mix of verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions etc. They aren’t in any order. The objective here is ‘pronunciation.’
Your 'TH' challenge
TH / θ /
or
VOICED
TH / ð /
- Guess how many syllables there are in the word. Click on the button to check.
- Decide if the word is an ‘UNVOICED TH / θ /’ or ‘VOICED TH / ð /’ Say the word to practice the ‘TH’ sound.
- Click on the button to hear the pronunciation. Were you correct?
Words that use a ‘th‘ sound
three
brother
ethical
mother
through
clothing
thick
other
theory
they’ve
earth
otherwise
clothes
thirteen
loathe
both
beneath
thunder
breath
north
thought
strength
fifth
anything
this
either
path
thirty
cloth
smooth
fourth
though
thanks
another
things
breathe
wealthy
mouth
together
south
toothbrush
birthday
these
weather
that
them
something
healthy
therefore
their
theatre
worthy
thin
I hope you enjoyed this exercise and found it useful. Pronunciation of certain sounds can be difficult and be a common cause of confusion during a conversation.
Use the words in a sentence
Can you use the words with the correct pronunciation in a sentence? Try saying these examples:
- Examples
- I think it is Thursday.
- It is his thirteenth birthday today.
- You can clean your teeth with a toothbrush.
- They should ask their father or their mother.
- The other clothes are new.
- There's another clothes shop over there.
- There is something in that dog's mouth.
- My mother and brother are going to the theatre this Thursday.
- Those three boys will be thirteen this Thursday, October fifth.
- The theatre audience thoroughly enjoyed the thirtieth performance of the ‘Path to Wealth & Health.’
If you have a problem with a specific sound, or the pronunciation of a certain word, please add a comment and tell me, or contact me direct.
