Pronunciation · consonant
The /θ/ sound — th as in think
In short
/θ/ is a voiceless dental fricative — the consonant you hear in think, nothing, month. It is voiceless: only air, no vocal-cord vibration. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.
How to pronounce /θ/
- 1Place the tip of your tongue lightly between your top and bottom teeth.
- 2Blow air over the tongue — a soft, continuous hiss.
- 3No voice: think, nothing, month.
Sounds like: a soft s made with the tongue between the teeth
/θ/ in words — with audio
Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.
- think/θɪŋk/ · sound is initial
- nothing/ˈnʌθɪŋ/ · sound is medial
- month/mʌnθ/ · sound is final
- three/θriː/ · sound is initial
- author/ˈɔːθə/ · sound is medial
- health/helθ/ · sound is final
The mistake almost everyone makes
Substituting /s/ ('think' → 'sink'), /t/ ('three' → 'tree') or /f/ ('think' → 'fink'). The tongue must be visible between the teeth — check in a mirror.
Who struggles with this sound:
- Mandarin speakers — /θ/ becomes /s/ — 'think' → 'sink' (noticeable, but fix the finals first)
- Hindi speakers — /θ/ becomes an aspirated dental t — usually understood, polish later
- Urdu speakers — /θ/ → dental t, /ð/ → dental d — understood, but noticeable
- Vietnamese speakers — /θ/ becomes /t/ or /s/ — noticeable but secondary to finals
- Thai speakers — /θ/ becomes /t/ — 'three' → 'tree' (fix finals first)
- Japanese speakers — /θ/ → /s/ — 'think' → 'sink' (noticeable, lower priority)
Spellings of /θ/
These letter patterns commonly spell /θ/: th. English spelling is unreliable — trust the IPA, not the letters.
Don't confuse it with…
Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast — the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce the /θ/ sound?
Place the tip of your tongue lightly between your top and bottom teeth. Blow air over the tongue — a soft, continuous hiss. No voice: think, nothing, month.
What is the most common mistake with /θ/?
Substituting /s/ ('think' → 'sink'), /t/ ('three' → 'tree') or /f/ ('think' → 'fink'). The tongue must be visible between the teeth — check in a mirror.
Which spellings make the /θ/ sound?
Common spellings include “th” — as in think /θɪŋk/, nothing /ˈnʌθɪŋ/, month /mʌnθ/.
Does /θ/ matter for IELTS?
Yes — this is a high-priority sound. Errors here frequently change one word into another, which examiners hear as reduced clarity (the exact Band 6 wording is “mispronunciation … reduces clarity at times”).
Next step
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