TH voiced and voiceless?

  • Thread starter Catia VF
  • Start date
  • Views : 26,202
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Catia VF

Guest
If a word is new for me and I have to pronounce it, how can I know if the TH sound is voiced or voiceless when I do not have a dictionary?
Is there any rule?
Thanks
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
If a word is new for me and I have to pronounce it, how can I know if the TH sound is voiced or voiceless when I do not have a dictionary?
Is there any rule?
Thanks
Most function words - determiners, pronouns - have voiced 'th' eth/edh ð:
the, these, those, that, though, there, their, they're
There are exceptions: through ...

Most verbs and nouns have voiceless 'TH' theta θ:
n. theatre, theocracy, thing, thought
v. throw, think, throttle, thwart
ðere are probably some obvious exceptions ðat I can't θink of right now.
 

bds51

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Germany
Hello Catia,
There are a couple of rules but unless you know Latin and German well they won't help. The simplest rule is when -th is at the beginning, middle, or end of a word, it is usually voiceless. In other words, except for the 15 most used 'th' words in English, if you're going to guess, then pronounce the th as voiceless. However, it's always better to check a dictionary. bdsenglishniche.com
 

cardboard

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
Singapore
Current Location
Singapore
Try sticking out your tongue, using both upper and lower teeths touching your tongue and blow it. If you do it correctly then I think you will be able to produce the "TH" sound..?
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Most function words - determiners, pronouns - have voiced 'th' eth/edh ð:
the, these, those, that, though, there, their, they're
There are exceptions: through ...

Most verbs and nouns have voiceless 'TH' theta θ:
n. theatre, theocracy, thing, thought
v. throw, think, throttle, thwart
ðere are probably some obvious exceptions ðat I can't θink of right now.

:up: This works for initial 'th-', except for fairly recent foreign borrowings like thé-dansant. In fact if you asked a native speaker to read some nonsense that 'should' exercise these rules, like 'This is a thrap' (or indeed 'This is very thrap' or 'This is moving very thraply' - as the rule works for adjectives and adverbs too) I'd be very surprised if the second was voiced. 'This is a...' introduces a noun, and nouns have initial /θ/ .

b
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
'th' at the end of a word is 'TH' theta θ:
breath, width, sixth, heath, wreath, bath ...

'the' at the end of a word is 'th' eth ð
breathe, lathe, bathe ...

'ther' is almost always eth ð
father, mother, feather, weather, whither, leather, other, bother
Exceptions: ether, Mather.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top