Lips
Relaxed and slightly open, tongue tip peeking out between the front teeth.
Voiced consonants
/ð/as in this
Voiced: same tongue-between-teeth position, with your vocal cords buzzing.
Example words: this, mother, breathe, they, smooth
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /ð/ sound?
Tongue
Place the tip lightly between your upper and lower front teeth and let voiced air flow over it.
Video lesson
Try it
- Put your tongue tip between your front teeth, exactly as for the voiceless "th".
- Switch on your voice: hand on throat, feel the buzz while air flows over the tongue.
- Do not press hard or stop the air; it should feel like a gentle vibrating leak.
- Hold a buzzing "thhh" for two seconds, then move into words.
- Now say: this, mother, breathe.
Check
Say "they" then "day". In "they" your tongue is visible between your teeth and air keeps flowing; in "day" the tongue taps behind the teeth and the air stops. Hand on throat: both buzz, so the mirror is your judge here.
Common trap
Swapping this sound for /d/ or /z/, so "they" becomes "day" and "breathe" becomes "breeze". Keep the tongue between the teeth and keep the air moving; a /d/ blocks the air completely.
Both th sounds side by side, with the language-by-language mistakes: the th sound guide.
Practice: /ð/
Words
thisðɪs
mothermˈʌðəɹ
breathebɹˈið
theyðeɪ
smoothsmˈuð
Sentences
My mother and father like this weather.mˌaɪ mˈʌðəɹ ænd fˈɑðəɹ lˈaɪk ðɪs wˈɛðəɹ.
They gathered together with their brothers.ðˌeɪ ɡˈæðəɹd təɡˈɛðəɹ wɪð ðɛɹ bɹˈʌðəɹz.
That is the other side of the river.ðˌæt ɪz ði ˈʌðəɹ sˈaɪd ʌv ðə ɹˈɪvəɹ.
Breathe in and breathe out slowly.bɹˈið ˈɪn ænd bɹˈið ˈaʊt slˈoʊli.
This leather feels very smooth.ðˌɪs lˈɛðəɹ fˈilz vˈɛɹi smˈuð.
Words
thisðɪs
mothermˈʌðə
breathebɹˈiːð
theyðeɪ
smoothsmˈuːð
Sentences
My mother and father like this weather.mˌaɪ mˈʌðə and fˈɑːðə lˈaɪk ðɪs wˈɛðə.
They gathered together with their brothers.ðˌeɪ ɡˈaðəd təɡˈɛðə wɪð ðɛː bɹˈʌðəz.
That is the other side of the river.ðˌat ɪz ði ˈʌðə sˈaɪd ɒv ðə ɹˈɪvə.
Breathe in and breathe out slowly.bɹˈiːð ˈɪn and bɹˈiːð ˈaʊt slˈəʊli.
This leather feels very smooth.ðˌɪs lˈɛðə fˈiːlz vˈɛɹi smˈuːð.
🔊 plays the app's native voice. 🎤 records you so you can play it back next to it. Your recording stays in your browser.
Sounds in the same group
Is /ð/ one of yours?
Accenty listens to you speak and shows the sounds you miss, in American or British English.
