Pronounce the Two English TH Sounds

For both English TH sounds, place the tongue lightly between the teeth and let air pass continuously. Use vocal-fold vibration for /ð/ and keep /θ/ unvoiced.

Tongue, air and voice

Use the same tongue position for both sounds and keep a narrow air passage without biting hard. Lightly touch your throat while alternating /θ/ and /ð/: vibration distinguishes the voiced sound. A brief blocked release produces a different sound, so keep the airflow going.

Sources: BBC

Identify the sound in a word

Read the pronunciation entry before practicing the spelling th. In thing and through, practice /θ/; in this and mother, practice /ð/. Both share their tongue position. Follow the dictionary audio for the specific word and accent, since spelling alone does not choose between the two sounds.

Sources: BBC

Practice a word, then a sentence

Practice the word alone, then use an original short sentence such as “This thing is small.” The first TH is /ð/ and the second is /θ/. Listen to a source recording, repeat and compare tongue position, sustained air and voicing separately. If you hear /s/, /f/ or /d/, return to the tongue position and continuous airflow before repeating the sentence.

Sources: BBC

Open product: Dictionary