Why TH is Difficult for Indian Speakers
The TH sounds don't exist in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, or most other Indian languages. When we encounter an unfamiliar sound, our brain substitutes the closest available sound from our native language:
- "think" → "tink" (TH becomes T)
- "three" → "tree" (TH becomes T)
- "this" → "dis" (TH becomes D)
- "that" → "dat" (TH becomes D)
- "brother" → "brudder" (TH becomes D)
The good news: TH is learnable. It's simply about tongue placement—something you can master with targeted practice.
The Two TH Sounds Explained
English has two distinct TH sounds, and mixing them up can change meaning:
Voiceless TH /θ/ (Unvoiced)
How it sounds: Like a soft hissing "ffff" with tongue between teeth
Vocal cords: NOT vibrating (no buzzing in throat)
Example words: think, three, thank, thought, through, throw, teeth, path, math, breath
Voiced TH /ð/ (Voiced)
How it sounds: Like a buzzing "vvvv" with tongue between teeth
Vocal cords: Vibrating (you feel buzzing in throat)
Example words: this, that, these, those, the, there, they, mother, brother, father, weather
Mouth & Tongue Position
The secret to TH is tongue placement between your teeth:
Step-by-Step Tongue Position
- Open your mouth slightly (don't clench teeth together)
- Stick your tongue tip OUT between your upper and lower teeth
- Your tongue should be visible—if someone's watching, they should see your tongue tip
- For voiceless TH (/θ/): Blow air over your tongue (like a gentle breeze)
- For voiced TH (/ð/): Vibrate your vocal cords while blowing air
- Pull your tongue back in to complete the sound and move to the next sound
- Tongue behind teeth (not between): Creates D/T sound instead of TH
- Tongue pressed too hard: Blocks airflow completely
- Tongue too far out: Looks exaggerated, sounds lispy
- Teeth biting down on tongue: Causes discomfort, restricts movement
Voiceless TH (/θ/) Practice
Start with voiceless TH as it's simpler (just air, no voicing).
Beginning Words
Practice each word 5 times, focusing on tongue position:
- think - /θɪŋk/
- three - /θriː/
- thank - /θæŋk/
- thought - /θɔːt/
- through - /θruː/
- throw - /θroʊ/
- thing - /θɪŋ/
- theme - /θiːm/
- thick - /θɪk/
- thin - /θɪn/
Middle Position Words
- something - /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
- nothing - /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
- anything - /ˈeniθɪŋ/
- everything - /ˈevriθɪŋ/
- birthday - /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
- healthy - /ˈhelθi/
- wealthy - /ˈwelθi/
- method - /ˈmeθəd/
- bathroom - /ˈbæθruːm/
- mathematics - /ˌmæθəˈmætɪks/
Ending Position Words
- path - /pæθ/
- math - /mæθ/
- bath - /bæθ/
- cloth - /klɔːθ/
- teeth - /tiːθ/
- breath - /breθ/
- death - /deθ/
- truth - /truːθ/
- youth - /juːθ/
- month - /mʌnθ/
Voiced TH (/ð/) Practice
Now add voicing. Same tongue position, but vibrate your vocal cords.
Beginning Words
- this - /ðɪs/
- that - /ðæt/
- these - /ðiːz/
- those - /ðoʊz/
- the - /ðə/ or /ðiː/
- there - /ðeər/
- they - /ðeɪ/
- them - /ðem/
- their - /ðeər/
- then - /ðen/
Middle Position Words
- mother - /ˈmʌðər/
- father - /ˈfɑːðər/
- brother - /ˈbrʌðər/
- weather - /ˈweðər/
- feather - /ˈfeðər/
- leather - /ˈleðər/
- together - /təˈɡeðər/
- whether - /ˈweðər/
- another - /əˈnʌðər/
- rather - /ˈræðər/
Ending Position Words
- breathe - /briːð/
- bathe - /beɪð/
- clothe - /kloʊð/
- soothe - /suːð/
- smooth - /smuːð/
- with - /wɪð/
Minimal Pairs Practice
Minimal pairs are word pairs that differ by only one sound. Practicing these helps your brain distinguish TH from similar sounds.
TH /θ/ vs. T
| TH Word | T Word |
|---|---|
| think | tink (not a word, but shows the difference) |
| three | tree |
| through | true |
| throw | trow (not a word) |
| theme | team |
| thick | tick |
| thin | tin |
| thigh | tie |
| path | pat |
| bath | bat |
TH /ð/ vs. D
| TH Word | D Word |
|---|---|
| this | dis (not a word) |
| that | dat (not a word) |
| there | dare |
| they | day |
| then | den |
| though | dough |
| those | doze |
| breathe | breed |
| loathe | load |
| writhe | ride |
Practice Sentences
Practice these sentences slowly, focusing on each TH sound:
Voiceless TH Sentences
- "I think we should go through the third door."
- "Three thousand things are in the bathroom."
- "She threw the ball through the window."
- "Thank you for the thoughtful gift."
- "Thursday is my birthday."
Voiced TH Sentences
- "This is the way to the station."
- "My mother and father are together."
- "They went there with their brother."
- "Weather is nice this time of year."
- "Whether you like it or not, that's the truth."
Mixed TH Sentences (Challenge)
- "I think that this is the third thing."
- "They thought the weather would be betther."
- "Those three brothers are together."
- "My mother thinks that they will come."
- "Thank them for their help with the math."
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Mistake 1: Tongue Behind Teeth
Problem: Tongue stays behind upper teeth → produces D or T
Fix: Consciously push tongue OUT between teeth. Look in mirror to verify tongue is visible.
Mistake 2: Using Wrong TH Type
Problem: Using voiced TH in "think" or voiceless TH in "this"
Fix: Memorize which words use which TH. Rule of thumb: Function words (the, this, that, these, those, there, they, them) are voiced. Most other TH words are voiceless.
Mistake 3: Exaggerated Tongue Position
Problem: Sticking tongue out too far → sounds lispy/unnatural
Fix: Only the tip of your tongue should be visible. It's a subtle movement, not exaggerated.
Mistake 4: Forgetting TH in Fast Speech
Problem: Correct TH in practice, but reverting to D/T in natural conversation
Fix: Practice common phrases until automatic: "I think," "thank you," "this is," "that's good"
Daily Practice Routine
5-Minute Daily TH Practice
Minute 1: Warm up—say "th-th-th-th" feeling tongue between teeth (both voiced and voiceless)
Minute 2: Practice 10 voiceless TH words from the list
Minute 3: Practice 10 voiced TH words from the list
Minute 4: Practice 3 sentences aloud
Minute 5: Record yourself saying: "I think that this is the third thing." Listen back and check.
- Use a mirror to check tongue position
- Record yourself weekly to track improvement
- Practice with AI (TalkDrill) for instant pronunciation feedback
- Set phone reminders to practice daily
- Overcorrect at first—exaggerate the tongue position until it becomes natural
Younger learners can pair this with PenLeap — gamified SPAG drills there help kids build pronunciation and writing fundamentals side by side, so TH sounds become automatic much earlier.
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