How to pronounce '-ths' (as in 'baths', 'months' or 'cloths')

Status
Not open for further replies.

tzfujimino

Key Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Hello, everyone.:-D

I have a question about the pronunciation of the words ending '-ths'.

According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary,


baths - BrE [bɑːðz] NAmE [ðz]

cloths - BrE [klɒθs] NAmE [klɔːðz]

However, I can't find the pronunciation of "months", unfortunately.
How do you pronounce it? Could it be something like [mʌnθs]?
(I've never heard it pronounced as [mʌnðz])

P.S. [θs] sounds almost like [ts] to me! It's really tricky!

 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
It can be anywhere between /mʌnθs/ and /mʌns/
 

raindoctor

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Swahili
Home Country
Kenya
Current Location
United States
American dictionaries (both Kenyon Knott and MW), list /mʌnts/ as their first choice. This is a result of two processes: post-nasal epenthesis followed by assimilation of "ths" to a fronted sibilant.

Even in "sth" clusters, you hear the same thing. cf. what's that = wassat
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
I've attached an mp3 of my southern British accent saying 'months' and 'in twelve months time'

I think you're better of trying to say
mʌnθs
, even if the result ends up as
mʌns or
mʌnts
. It will sound better than trying to say
mʌns or mʌnts.

When speaking quickly, the
θ will tend to shorten or perhaps disappear completely. Though I think in BrE it's more likely to remain. Certainly I always say the θ, unless I'm being lazy.
 

Attachments

  • months_BrE.mp3
    68.9 KB · Views: 29
Last edited:

tzfujimino

Key Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2007
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Japanese
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
I've attached an mp3 of my southern British accent saying 'months' and 'in twelve months time'

I think you're better of trying to say
mʌnθs
, even if the result ends up as
mʌns or
mʌnts
. It will sound better than trying to say
mʌns or mʌnts.

When speaking quickly, the
θ will tend to shorten or perhaps disappear completely. Though I think in BrE it's more likely to remain. Certainly I always say the θ, unless I'm being lazy.

Hello, NorwichEnglish.:-D
That's very kind of you.
Thank you very much!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top