This video tutorial for the pronunciation of th sounds has two parts.
In this first video, Alfredo will introduce the th sounds and teach you the voiceless
th sound.
At the end of the video on the pronunciation of s and es endings, I asked you, "What sound
in the English language is the most difficult to pronounce?"
You wrote a huge number of comments for that video, but the comment that you made the most
said that the th sound is the most difficult sound in the English language.
You can hear the th sound in words like thing, this, birthday, father, health, and smooth.
This sound is frustrating English learners like you.
I have good news.
You can learn to pronounce the th sound, the sound that English learners say is the most
difficult sound in the English language.
I know you can pronounce the th sound, so let's do it!
The first thing that you should know is that there are actually two th sounds.
Here they are: θ and ð.
I'll say them again: θ and ð.
Many people think that there is one th sound because we use the letters th for both sounds.
The combination of letters is not the only thing that is the same for both sounds.
The position of the mouth, including the lips, the tongue, and the teeth, is also the same
for both sounds.
The only difference is that one of the sounds is voiced and the other is voiceless.
Specifically, ð is voiced and θ is voiceless.
I talked about voiced and voiceless sounds in another video, but I'll also talk more
about these sounds later in this video.
So what is the position of the mouth for these sounds?
The front of your tongue, also called the tip of your tongue, should be between your
top and your bottom teeth.
Don't bite down on your tongue.
That hurts, ok?
Just let your tongue relax on your bottom teeth.
Let your top teeth relax on your tongue.
You do need a little bit of space above your tongue so that you can push air over your
tongue.
θ
Go ahead and do that right now.
Pronounce the voiceless th sound.
θ
A common error that English learners make is that they pronounce the t sound instead
of the voiceless th sound.
Say thing.
Not ting, thing.
You need to allow air to continue flowing over your tongue.
Say both.
Not boat, both.
When you say boat, the sound stops, and the air stops.
But you can let the air flow for as long as you can breathe, when you say, both.
Another common error is to say sing instead of thing.
Not sing.
Thing.
Say path.
Not pass, path.
I understand that in some cultures, it may be rude to show your tongue.
So some English learners think, I'm not supposed to do that.
You really do need to push your tongue out a little bit in order to practice this sound.
As you improve, you'll be able to pronounce the sound so quickly that people won't really
see your tongue.
But right now, I actually recommend that you exaggerate the sound.
Thing.
Both.
Go somewhere private where people won't think you're weird, and exaggerate the th sound.
It's ok.
I will be weird in public to help you so that you don't have to be weird in public.
Thin.
Health.
If you are watching this with your teacher or if you are watching this in a classroom
with other students, have fun with it.
You can laugh at each other.
You can all be weird together.
It's fun.
Think.
Path.
That's the voiceless th sound.
In this video, Alfredo talked about the voiceless th sound.
Be sure to watch the second video, which will teach you the voiced th sound�