TH: Master the Vibrated TH Sound (pronunciation)

Master the Vibrated TH Sound

Relax and learn how to make the voiced (vibrated) TH sound. This sound is produced by placing the tip of the tongue gently between the front teeth. The lips are relaxed and passive. As the air passes the tongue and teeth, a vibration is produced. You should feel the vibration on your tongue and in your throat.

This vibrated TH sound often appears at the beginning and middle of English words. It occasionally appears at the end.

Start with these combinations
THO
THEE
THA
THE
THI

If you can produce the vibrated TH’s above, go on to this word list
This, these, that, those
Tip: Give yourself enough time. Relax and s-t-r-e-e-e-e-e-t-c-h out the words to give your tongue enough time to retract from the extended TH position into the correct position for an S, T or Z sound.

Here is the vibrated TH in the middle of some words
Mother, brother, father, feather, weather, whether

And here are some vibrated TH sentences
Their mother was gathering the clothes together
They’ve had a lot of bother with the weather
They’d rather gather those berries with their mother
There’s their brother, together with their father
Therefore they’d rather go together
(from EnglishisaPieceofCake.com/pronunciation)

Here are some words with the vibrated TH at the beginning

that
than
the
they
their
them
these
they’d
they’ll
they’re
they’ve
this
those
though
themselves
therefore
thee
thy
thou
therein

Here are some words with the vibrated TH in the middle

feather
weather
together
bathing
father
mother
clothing
brother
weatherman
either
gather
other
worthy
another
rather
soothing
smoothest
leather
tether