"The (voiced, and unvoiced) TH sound."

[Raykalm]

Hey there. I'm a student from Pakistan, though I'm currently living in Canada. My english isn't really all that bad, well not the grammar part at least.

I have a few questions to ask you.

1.) How do you pronounce the sound TH, both voiced and unvoiced, properly?

2.) After answering number 1, I have trouble switching (0r moving) my tongue to the proper place after words that end/begin in TH/S and are followed by other words that end/begin in TH/S, how do I fix that? For example: Mike then found out "that" "the" lights really weren't working. Or, Sally "feeds" "them". ( for the second one, after I say feeds, It takes about a bit more than 2 seconds for me to go to the followings, unless I stutter.

3.) Whenever I say the sounds/letter S, R, and CH, people usually mistake them for something else. S for T, R for L (I think I fixed my R though), and CH for "ts".

Can you guys help this Pakistani guy out? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

[Raykalm]

Still no reply?

[Raykalm]

Can I get some answers please?

[Raykalm]

I guess no ones going to help me.

[Raykalm]

No one at all.

[BobK]

You take less than 23 hours to post 5 times and then give up entirely. This is not a paid service and teachers aren't at your beck and call. I imagine someone else may overcome their irritation at your impertinence and impatience enough to answer you.

b

[Raykalm]

I'm sorry, I got a bit careless. I apologise. I was just looking for some answers.

[SoothingDave]

Or, Sally "feeds" "them". ( for the second one, after I say feeds, It takes about a bit more than 2 seconds for me to go to the followings, unless I stutter.

Most native speakers, unless they were trying really hard to be perfect, would say something like "feedzem."

Just remember that for the "th" sound your tongue needs to either touch the back of your upper front teeth, or protrude between the upper and lower teeth.

[ashr]

The sound /θ/ is (unvoiced) as in the word 'thin', whereas the sound/ð/is (voiced)as in the word 'then'. The meaning of 'voiced' or 'unvoiced' sound is dependent on whether there is a vibration in your vocal cords (voiced) or not (unvoiced). Therefore, if you try to put your hand on the front of your neck (over your throat) and try to feel whether your vocal cords are vibrating (as the sound /ð/is 'voiced' as in the word 'then') or not ( as the 'unvoiced' sound /θ/ in the word 'thin'), you will be able to decide whether you have pronounced both of them correctly or not.

Another difference between the two sounds is that the sound/θ/, as in the word 'thin', we put the front of the tongue (not the tip of the tongue) between the lower teeth and the upper teeth, where as the /ð/ sound we put the tip of the tongue (not the front of the tongue) between the lower teeth and the upper teeth. The tongue is divided into 4 positions (tip, front, centre, and back).So if you look carefully to the shapes of the symbols of the two sounds you will recognise that the positions of the tongue in each sound between the lower teeth and the upper teeth are different and consequently you will understand the difference in pronouncing them.

The only similarity between the two sounds is that both of them are called enterdental sounds for that you use both of the lower teeth and the upper teeth in order to pronounce them. Also they are called fricatives for that when it comes to pronouncing them the airsteam is nearly tottal blocked (not completely blocked) in the mouth and it goes smoothly along the center of your tongue to outside of your mouth.

[konungursvia]

The only reason I felt I wouldn't answer is that you can't really discuss or explain this well without being face to face. Tip: use the tip of your tongue against your 11 and 12 teeth (the two front ones), if you need to go faster.