Pronunciation of th in English. Pronunciation of the interdental sound th

Introduction

Sound is rightfully considered the king of complexity among English sounds.

In many languages, such a sound does not exist at all, with the exception of Arabic, Greek, Castilian and Swahili.
You and I are also “lucky”.
We don't have such a letter!

For this reason, it is so difficult for us to pronounce words such as the, this, with... And therefore we often replace the sound with S, T, Z or D.
And instead of The it sounds Ze or De; instead of Think - Sink or Tink.
And you, by the way, know that it was not because of a good life that the English people began to stick out their tongues, but because of the lack of upper front teeth during scurvy. Don't believe me? Read the origin story English sound.

“...scurvy, which was a consequence of the cold snap, dramatically changed the phonetic picture of Europe. Babies whose teeth fell out before they could grow in were physically unable to pronounce dental sounds, and the rest of their speech apparatus was forced to restructure itself for the more or less intelligible pronunciation of the most simple words… The sounds d, t, s, z fell out along with the teeth, and the gums and tongue, swollen from scurvy, could not pronounce the contractions of two consonants...”

That is, if it seems to you that the sound is a lisping S or Z, then you are on the right track.
Try saying the tongue twister “Sasha walked along the highway and sucked on a dryer,” replacing C with the sound Th. It should look something like this: “Thla Thatha according to thоthe and thоthala thуthк.”
If there was scurvy in Russia, you and I would probably talk like that.
By the way, the above phrase is convenient to use as a warm-up exercise before classes. Just make sure there are fewer people nearby.

Who is guilty?

They usually say stick your tongue out and Tell « THIS« .
But in many countries “THIS” is considered indecent!
"Don't stick your tongue out"- our mother says to her child.
Even as adults, people cannot perform this simple action, so necessary in life. English language.

And here Einstein didn't hesitate to do it. And that means you shouldn’t either.
In addition, some particularly sophisticated teachers even recommend biting the protruding tongue with your teeth.

What to do or debunking myths?

Well, we have already figured out who is to blame - this is our mentality and the inclinations of some teachers.
And here I would like to quote an excerpt from Mikhail Zadornov about a foreign intelligence agent:
“I was taken straight from the construction site to an English language course, from which I was expelled for poor academic performance, because the teacher did not understand my purely English pronunciation.
One day he asked me where I learned the language. I honestly admitted - in an English special school.
He replied that he always did not trust English special schools, and not at all like me, you need to pronounce the word “The table” according to last instruction All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions."

Now all that remains is to figure out what to do? How to learn to pronounce this sound without spending the rest of your life on it?
Having tried to do this on my own, looking through a bunch of literature and carefully listening to my own feelings, I came to certain conclusions and found sure ways quick solution Problems. According to the comedian: “After drinking, I thought soberly.”

Firstly, it is absolutely not necessary to stick your tongue out a kilometer - this is a common misconception. Usually 2-3 MILLIMETERS is enough, which looks quite decent even with our reserved mentality.

Secondly, the tongue should be pressed against the UPPER TEETH, and not just sticking out, which is another common misconception. However, you should press it only lightly so as not to block the air movement. In the end, do you want to stay alive?

Third, the core of this manual is my Know-How.
Or maybe How-No, as Zadornov says :)):
Imagine that the BOTTOM edge of the UPPER teeth...

Ok, I know - it sounds a little complicated, especially after a long day of work.
Let's look at the photo.

Ouch!
This child has no teeth at all!
And scurvy has nothing to do with it.

Then one more try...

OK, This photo is closer to the topic.
Although Keira Knightley looks
a little vampire, but
she clearly did not suffer from scurvy
and she has a good view
the same edge of the upper teeth.

So here it is. Imagine what this edge represents guitar string .
And you need SLIGHTLY sticking out the sharp and hard tip of your tongue, pull this string with it. Pull the tip of your tongue from outside to inside. Jing...
Those who have played the guitar probably know what a plectrum or pick is. The tip of the tongue performs the same function.
Now it is clear? With the tip of the tongue we pull the edge-string deep into the mouth and slightly upward.

Try it. Try it several times - you will like it, I promise!
Do you really want to master this? voiced dental fricative consonant ?
Oh, sorry! It seems that with this phrase I scared away more than half of the readers.
However, half is never greater and this is incredibly comforting...

Watch and listen my pronunciation explanation sound- the king of the complexity of English sounds

To purchase Linvo-vitamin sound follow this link.

How to pronounce voiced "th"

The first thing you need to know about the sound “th” is that it has two pronunciations - voiced and voiceless. The difference is that when pronouncing a voiced sound, a vibrating sound is produced. In order to make such a sound, you need to place your tongue between your teeth. If you touch your throat while saying “th”, you will certainly feel it vibrate.

For example, the voiced “th” can be heard in the words: the, these, that, them.

This sound also occurs in the middle of a word: although, another.

A predominantly voiced sound is pronounced when “th” is located between two vowels - mother, father, brother and so on.

How to pronounce unvoiced "th"

Most best example the unvoiced “th” is English word"three". This sound is less distinguishable compared to the previous one.

It's funny, but many people pronounce the word "three" as "tree", and Russians especially like to simplify (for some reason) to "free", although these are completely different words in English.

To make a dull sound, you need to follow the same principle as for a voiced sound: place your tongue between your teeth, but at the same time simply silently push the air out of your mouth - there should be no more vibration.

Example words - three, thirteen, thirty, thanks, and also with the sound “th” at the end - mouth, both, worth, month and so on.

That's all the information about the “hardest” sound for non-English speakers, “th”. Is it really difficult for you now? Practice your pronunciation after reading this article. If the video turns out to be difficult to understand by ear, still do not rush to turn it off: listen to how a native English speaker clearly pronounces the unvoiced and voiced “th” and demonstrates the difference in sounds.

More than once in the comments we have been asked to understand the interdental th sound. This is not at all surprising: th is one of the most frequently encountered sounds in the English language, while in Russian (and in many others) this sound simply does not exist.

How to pronounce it? How to fix common mistakes? How to “train your mouth” to correct pronunciation? Today we will answer these questions using videos, exercises, tongue twisters, words and examples from songs.

What sound do the letters th make?

Just let’s make it clear right away that th is not a sound. This is a combination of letters that can be read as two sounds: unvoiced /θ/, as in the word thanks, and voiced /ð/, as in the word that. It is with these signs that the interdental “th sounds” are indicated in transcription. But in the article I will sometimes write “th sound” for convenience.

Both sounds, voiced and voiceless, are articulated in the same way(lips and tongue are in the same position). Therefore, we will structure the work as follows:

First let's learn correct position mouth for both sounds;
Then we will analyze possible mistakes and find out how to fix them;
Then we will work on tongue twisters and words, each sound separately.

Yes, we don't have these sounds. But we have the concept of “lisp.” Do you remember Sid the sloth from Ice Age: “No, I f whether f com young, f to die!”. In English explanatory dictionary the word “lisp” (lisp) is interpreted as “a speech defect in which s and z sound like th in think And this respectively".

This video talks about lisps. I recommend watching: simple and humorous.

That is, it turns out that we need to pronounce Russian / s / with a lisp for the deaf / θ / and Russian / z / for the voiced / ð /. What do you mean, “lisp”? Say the word right now "compound". When pronouncing the /c/ sound, your tongue is BEHIND your teeth. Now put your tongue between teeth(sound th – interdental) and say again "compound". You will end up with something like a deaf th, as in the word thick.

Now do the same, but with the word "gap". As a result, you will get something like a voiced th, as in the word then.

Why do I say “similarity”? Because Russians are /s – z/ /s – z/, which means their lisp will be slightly different. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at the position of the articulatory apparatus.

How to pronounce th sound in English

Language spread out and tense, and its tip is located between the upper and lower teeth, forming a narrow flat gap between cutting edge of the upper teeth and the surface of the anterior edge of the tongue.

To learn the ideal positioning of the articulatory apparatus, I suggest you watch the video. It shows three life hacks:

2:08 – how to put the articulatory apparatus in the ideal position: open your mouth, place your tongue on top of your lower teeth so that the tip is directly behind the lower lip and slowly lower your upper teeth onto your tongue – try to pronounce the voiceless version of th, as in think.

2:52 - how to feel the necessary tension on the tongue: take a straw and place it between the tongue and the upper teeth - this way you will feel how strong the tension should be on the tongue.

3:36 – how far to stick your tongue forward: place your finger perpendicular to your lips (as when we ask you to be quieter) and stick your tongue out. The tongue should lightly touch the finger - this is the limit.

And don’t forget to repeat sentences and words after the presenter! This sound takes practice and more practice.

Pronunciation of the interdental sound th: video.

How to pronounce th sound in Russian

Now that you have figured out what position the articulatory apparatus should be in, let's laugh at it together typical mistakes Russian speakers to avoid them in practice (which, by the way, will come immediately after this point).

Possible mistakes:	How to fix:
Replacing voiceless /θ/ with /s/ ( think pronounce “sync”); Replacing voiced /ð/ with /z/ ( then pronounce it like "zen").	Do not arch the front back of your tongue upward. + The tip of the tongue should be between the teeth, and not at the base of the lower front teeth (and not at the alveoli,). Do exercises on contrasting words, for example: mouth /maʊθ/ – mouse /maʊs/, thing /θɪŋ/ – sing /sɪŋ/, with /wɪð/ – whizz /wɪz/.
Replacing voiceless /θ/ with /f/ ( three pronounce it like “fries”); Replacing voiced /ð/ with /v/ ( breathe pronounce it like “briv”).	Expose your teeth, especially the lower ones, as when brushing them, so that the lower lip does not come into contact with the upper teeth or come close to them. Report contrasting pairs: three /θriː/ – free /friː/, thought /θɔːt/ – fought /fɔːt/.
Replacing voiceless /θ/ with /t/ ( thick pronounce it like "teak"); Replacing voiced /ð/ with /d/ ( this pronounce it like “dis”).	Do not press the front part of your tongue against upper teeth: it is lowered down, and the tip is between the teeth. Do exercises on contrasting words, for example: thick /θɪk/ – tick /tɪk/.
Deafening of the voiced version th / ð / ⇒ replacement with the voiceless version / θ / at the end of the word. It can happen out of habit, because in Russian, voiced consonants at the end of a word are pronounced dull.	Remember that in English, voiced sounds at the end of a word are not deafened! Do exercises on contrasting words, for example: teeth /tiːθ/ – teethe /tiːð/.

See, it's not all that complicated. 🙂 It’s quite possible to figure out exactly how this sound should be pronounced. Moreover, the Internet is full of educational videos on this topic (for example, watch, from which you will learn how to correctly pronounce th sounds in combination with other sounds).

What's the catch then? Why does this sound still cause difficulty? Because to accustom ourselves to pronounce it correctly when speaking quickly and spontaneously is a real feat for us. The solution is special exercises and a lot of practice.

Practicing the th sound in English: exercises and training

First tip: first, to make this “interdental position” more familiar to your tongue, deliberately exaggerate it! Stick your tongue out as far as possible, pronounce it in a very exaggerated manner, don’t be shy about looking stupid. More details in the video:

Another exercise that will help you get used to it: hum absolutely any melody (for example, “A Christmas tree was born in the forest”), replacing all the words with the sounds / θ / and / ð /.

A Christmas tree was born in the forest, it grew in the forest, it was slender green in winter and summer.
Thethethethethethethe,thethethethethe,thethethethethethethethethethethethethe.

Now that you are used to it, move on to practicing in words and tongue twisters.

English words with th sound: voiceless version

So, we adjust our mouth to the desired position and begin phonetic exercises for the sound th. Remember that this sound does not need to be softened before front vowels (such as i). The sound /θ/ is always only hard.

thought /θɔːt/

thrust /θrʌst/

through /θruː/

strength /strŋθ/

thrall /θrɔːl/

fourth /fɔːθ/

Great! Now you can try it on tongue twisters.

Tongue twisters in English with the sound th

Th irty- th ree th ousand and th irty th inkers th ought th irty- th ree th ousand and th irty th oughts.
Th ree th erapists th rew th ree th ermometers in th ree th ick th ickets of th orny th istle.
I am th ankful for a th ousand th ings...for fai th full ear th, for bir th and brea th, for th thought and heal th and strength th and world th, and, may be, when it comes, for dea th.

To conclude our training, as usual, we will take an example from a famous song with the sound th. I settled on the song “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones. Word thumb repeated throughout the song with a distinct pronunciation of the /θ/ sound.

Words with th sound in English: voiced version

Now let's move on to ringing sound/ð/. I would like to draw your attention again to the fact that this sound is always hard and does not soften in front of the front vowels.

loathe /ləʊð/

breathe /briːð/

other /ˈʌð.ə r/

there /ðeər/

whether /ˈweð.ər/

mother /ˈmʌð.ər/

father /ˈfɑː.ðər/

brother /ˈbrʌð.ə r/

neither /ˈniː.ðər/

worthy /ˈwɜː.ði/

leather /ˈleð.ər/

together /təˈɡeð.ər/

another /əˈnʌð.ər/

English tongue twisters with th sound

Th ese bro th ersba th e wi th th ose bro th ers, th ose bro th ersba th e wi th th ese bro th ers.
Th ey are always bo th ering Fa th er and Mo th er to do things for th em.
Th ese clo th es are ra th er for th e southern wea th er, th ose clo th es are ra th er for th e northern wea th er.

By the way, I highly recommend learning another tongue twister. More precisely, these are many different tongue twisters in unvoiced and voiced th, which are set to music. Learn this song, and your articulatory apparatus will never forget the correct position. 🙂

And now an example from the song. For ringing th, I settled on the song “One Way Or Another” by Blondie. Word another repeated throughout the song and clearly articulated.

Results: reading th sounds in English

As you can see, there is nothing too scary about the th sound. The main thing is practice. You can save our article to bookmarks and periodically practice th sounds training over and over again. And so that nothing gets confused in your head, I propose to briefly summarize:

The letter combination th gives 2 sounds: unvoiced / θ /, as in thanks, and voiced /ð/, as in that. Remember these icons: if you come across a new word, then turn to the dictionary to find out the transcription and hear the pronunciation.
This sound is pronounced as a lisp / s / and / z / - the tongue is spread out and tense, the tip is located between the upper and lower teeth, forming a narrow flat gap between the cutting edge of the upper teeth and the surface of the anterior edge of the tongue.
The main difficulty for us is to accustom our articulatory apparatus to this sound. Especially to pronounce it correctly during fast, fluent speech. Therefore, be sure to do some training for yourself: hum songs, practice sets of words and tongue twisters.

Don't switch: to be continued

We calculated that we had 24 sounds left to make out. Therefore, after today’s training, there are 22 left. Next time we will take on a new portion of sounds, this time – vowels. See you again! 🙂

Pronunciation of th in English. Pronunciation of the interdental sound th - practical video lesson

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