Menu
How to Pronounce the /th/ Sound?
- Posted By blog-user
- 01/11/2022
How can you learn to pronounce /th/?
Are you having a good September holiday so far? I hope you can catch some rest and recharge before Term 4 begins again! Bearing in mind that a lot of you will be having your oral examination after the September holidays, I am going to share with you a quick but very important tip related to reading: How can you learn to pronounce /th/?
As a child, I remember vividly how I had struggled with the pronunciation of the /th/ sound. I just could not seem to get it and it was always awkward when I tried to pronounce it. Eventually, it was only when I became a teenager that I learnt how to pronounce “three” accurately. Many children still find it hard to accurately pronounce this sound but it is definitely something we cannot turn a blind eye to. Pronouncing the /th/ sound adds to the accuracy in reading during your oral examination and will definitely be an area that your examiner looks out for. In fact, every passage will contain words with the ‘th’ sound! How can we work on it then?
In this post, I would like to help you to start mastering the /th/ sound with 2 simple steps. Do take note that this tip is most helpful for words containing ‘th’ at the beginning e.g. thought, the, three, theatre etc. and in the middle e.g. mother, author, everything etc. For words that end with ‘th’, this tip may not apply as well although you still can try.
Step 1: Replace /th/ with /z/
Taking ‘three’ as an example, you will need to replace ‘th’ with ‘z’ and you will pronounce the word as /zree/.
For a word with /th/ in the middle, for instance, ‘mother’, you will replace ‘th’ with ‘z’ and pronounce it as /ma-zer/.
Yes, it sounds slightly ridiculous now but wait for step 2!
Step 2: Stick your tongue out while pronouncing the word with /z/ replacement
The trick is to pronounce /zree/ while sticking your tongue out at the /z/ sound. The tip of your tongue should extend slightly after your front teeth.
Now, try pronouncing /zree/ and /ma-zer/ with your tongue sticking out at the /z/ sound. Do you notice a different already?
If you do, congratulations! If you do not, try it a few more times. It will probably be good to try this trick with another person who has already mastered the /th/ sound so that that person can point out to you whether you are indeed pronouncing the /th/ sound.
“The key is that air needs to be expelled along with the sticking out of the tongue to successfully pronounce the /th/ sound. ”
The key to pronouncing /th/
If you are wondering why this works, it is because the /z/ sound helps you to expel (or blow) wind out. If you put your palm near your mouth when you are pronouncing the /th/ sound correctly, you will feel a small gust of air being expelled. When I was younger, I was often only told to stick my tongue out when I see /th/ and that made the pronunciation awkward. The key is that air needs to be expelled along with the sticking out of the tongue to successfully pronounce the /th/ sound.
When you have had a taste of how it is like to pronounce the /th/ sound, practice will be the next thing you need for it to become a habit and for the words with /th/ to be pronounced fluently during your oral examination. You will also find pronouncing words that end with /th/ much easier to master too. Remember, speaking well and pronouncing your words accurately is not merely for examination’s sake, it helps you in your communication too!
The Lil’ Chatterbox Course
If you are still looking for a way to do better for your oral and need a structured approach to craft your answers in the stimulus-based conversation section, we are happy to share with you that our online oral course, “Lil’ Chatterbox” is now available!
Other than our compilation of vocabulary, you will also be getting the videos to walk you through our simple yet effective framework to answer the SBC questions as well as the Oral Workbook consisting of 9 practices with model answers. Find out more about this essential PSLE English oral course here now.
Other related posts
10 Beautiful Vivid Verbs to Boost Your Writing and Oral! | Primary School English
- Creative Writing & Compo, Oral
3 Family-Friendly Shows on Netflix (Educational & Entertaining)!
- English in the real world
10 Beautiful Words You Can Use in Narrative / Descriptive Writing | Secondary School
- Secondary School English
Understanding Purpose-Related Questions in Visual Text Comprehension
- Visual Text Comprehension
How Playing Video Games Can Improve Our English (With Practical Tips for Parents!)
- English in the real world
2021 Mother’s Day Contest Winners + Our Founder’s Journey (Mother’s Day Special)!
- Company News
Reading with Expression! Learn How to Emphasise Keywords with Ketchup & Mayo
- Lower Primary, Reading, Vocabulary
PSLE ORAL | Compiled Prelim 2021 Oral Topics + Questions!
- Free Downloads, Oral
If you’re looking at getting recent PSLE Prelim Oral topics and practice questions, this will be an excellent resource for you!
5 Steps to Convert a Newspaper Article into a Cloze Passage
- Cloze Passage and Editing, Free Downloads, Primary School English
I would like to share with you 5 steps on how authentic articles can be transformed into cloze passages easily. Read on here!
PSLE English | Oral Conversation: Free SG50 Sample Practice + Model Answers
- Free Downloads, Oral, Primary School English
In this blogpost we will be touching on the oral stimulus-based conversation topic of National Day and SG50! Read on here!
PSLE English | Oral Conversation: Filling your Story with Details Easily + Free Revision Cards
- Free Downloads, Oral, Primary School English
By simply using the 5W1H, your children will be able to lengthen their stories (hence, the conversation!). Read on here!
PSLE English | Situational Writing: Q&A + Formal vs Informal Writing Comparison Chart
- Free Downloads, Primary School English, Situational Writing
To aid you in your situational writing revision, here is a comparison chart that shows the differences between formal and informal writing!
PSLE English Tips | Oral: Stimulus-Based Conversation Checklist
- Free Downloads, Oral, Primary School English
To help my children handle the Stimulus-Based Conversation examination, here are some instructions again about using the checklist!
A Little Encouragement | DIY Motivational Bookmark (Easy to personalise too!)
- English in the real world, Free Downloads, Reading
A bookmark with a quote to motivate is also a chance for them to see the power of words and how words can mean more than what they seem.
Situational Writing: Step-by-Step Guide + Free Revision Card
- Free Downloads, Primary School English, Situational Writing
I believe a walkthrough on the process of doing situational writing is in order. Here are the requirements for content and language!
I Love Reading | 5 Ways to Motivate Reluctant Readers
- English in the real world, Free Downloads
One of the most important ingredients necessary for a child or anyone learning English is the habit of reading. Get motivated to read now!
PSLE English | Printable Ultimate Grammar & Synthesis Summary
- Free Downloads, Grammar, Sentence Synthesis
Today, we are sharing two lists of essentials in our Ultimate Grammar and Synthesis Summary Printable. Download them free here!
How Well Do You Know Your Past Participles?
- Free Downloads, Grammar
While we are familiar with the past, present and future tenses, the little less known but equally important tense is the past participles.
Primary Composition Writing | Starting Sentences with Introductory Clauses
- Creative Writing & Compo, Free Downloads
Today, we'll be revising the use of sentence starters to help you create variety in your sentence structures. Read on here!
The Sentence Train | Lower Primary English
- Free Downloads, Grammar
Today, we are going to learn what makes up a sentence. It will come in handy when you do the word order activity in school! Read on here!
PSLE English Tips | Oral: Reading Checklist
- Free Downloads, Oral, Primary School English
This Oral Reading Checklist can be used by children when they practise reading on their own. Download it now!
Language of COVID | 10 Words Added to the Dictionary
- English in the real world, Vocabulary
Expressing Character Feelings Too! | Using Show-Not-Tell (Part 2)
- Creative Writing & Compo
Which Picture Should I Use? | Choosing the Best Picture to Use for Composition!
- Creative Writing & Compo
Previous
Next
Like what you are reading?
Subscribe now to receive news and tips hot off the press!
