θ
Consonant
/θ/ — Voiceless dental fricative
Example words
| Word | US English | UK English |
|---|---|---|
| think | /ˈθɪŋk/ | /θɪŋk/ |
| both | /ˈboʊθ/ | /bəʊθ/ |
| month | /ˈmʌnθ/ | /mʌnθ/ |
| health | /ˈhɛlθ/ | /hɛlθ/ |
| author | /ˈɔθɚ/ | /ɔːθə/ |
| earth | /ˈɝθ/ | /ɜːθ/ |
| thought | /ˈθɔt/ | /θɔːt/ |
| truth | /ˈtɹuθ/ | /tɹuːθ/ |
| theory | /ˈθɪɹi/ | /θɪəɹi/ |
| tooth | /ˈtuθ/ | /tuːθ/ |
Transcriptions come from pronunciation lexicons IPAtics maintains, in US and UK English.
How to produce this sound
SoundVoiceless dental fricative.
TongueTongue tip lightly between teeth to create controlled friction.
LipsNeutral, not rounded.
JawKeep jaw slightly open and stable.
VoiceKeep vocal cords off; airflow should be unvoiced.
Minimal pairs
Each pair differs only in /θ/, so hearing them side by side isolates the sound.
- think/ˈθɪŋk/sink/ˈsɪŋk/
Spelling patterns
- th as in think
Common mistakes for Turkish and German speakers
- Turkish speakers: /θ/ is often replaced by /t/, so "think" can sound like "tink".Source: Swan & Smith (eds.), Learner English, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2001), chapter "Turkish speakers"
- German speakers: /θ/ is often replaced by /s/, so "think" can sound like "sink".Source: Swan & Smith (eds.), Learner English, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2001), chapter "German speakers"
Practise this sound
- GuideTH Sounds in IPA: /θ/ and /ð/ Explained
- ConverterEnglish to IPA converter
- In Turkishİngilizce Telaffuz Rehberi — Türkler İçin IPA ile Başlangıç
- In GermanEnglische Aussprache für Deutsche: die fünf Fallen
- In Arabicنطق th في الإنجليزية: متى تكون ث ومتى ذ
- In SpanishCómo se pronuncia la th en inglés: /θ/ y /ð/
- In FrenchComment prononcer le th en anglais : /θ/ et /ð/
- In PortugueseComo pronunciar o th em inglês: /θ/ e /ð/
- In ItalianCome si pronuncia th in inglese: /θ/ e /ð/
Hear it in context with IPAtics
Select any text and get instant IPA transcription with per-phoneme pronunciation coaching. Free for macOS and Windows.
Download IPAtics