Contents
Let’s discover the consonant digraph th—the unique sound you hear in words like think, this, and bath. This digraph creates both a soft and a buzzing sound that makes English pronunciation special. Mastering th will help you speak clearly and confidently!
Consonant Digraph th
What Is the Consonant Digraph th?
A consonant digraph means two letters come together to make one sound. But th is extra special—it can make two different sounds:
- Voiceless /θ/ – like in think, thumb, both
- Voiced /ð/ – like in this, that, brother
Tip: Put your hand on your throat. When you say this, you’ll feel a vibration (voiced). When you say think, no vibration (voiceless)!
Common “th” Words by Sound
Voiceless /θ/
Have a look at the diagram designed to help you visualize /θ/.
Press play and observe how the /θ/ sound softens in “thing.”
- think
- thin
- bath
- teeth
- birthday
Voiced /ð/
Examine the model that represents the correct setup for /ð/.
Hear how the /ð/ sound pushes air out in “this.”
- this
- that
- they
- those
- brother
Words with Consonant Digraph “th”
Voiceless /θ/
Words with “th” = /θ/ at the Beginning
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| think | /θɪŋk/ |
| thin | /θɪn/ |
| thick | /θɪk/ |
| thief | /θiːf/ |
| theme | /θiːm/ |
| theory | /ˈθɪəri/ |
| thorn | /θɔːrn/ |
| thumb | /θʌm/ |
| thunder | /ˈθʌndər/ |
| thaw | /θɔː/ |
| thistle | /ˈθɪsl/ |
| thermal | /ˈθɜːrməl/ |
| theatre | /ˈθiːətər/ |
| thousand | /ˈθaʊzənd/ |
| thrust | /θrʌst/ |
| thought | /θɔːt/ |
| thump | /θʌmp/ |
| thorough | /ˈθʌroʊ/ |
| thirty | /ˈθɜːrti/ |
| thirteen | /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/ |
| thirsty | /ˈθɜːrsti/ |
| thermostat | /ˈθɜːrməˌstæt/ |
| theology | /θiˈɑːlədʒi/ |
Words with “th” = /θ/ in the Middle
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| athlete | /ˈæθliːt/ |
| author | /ˈɔːθər/ |
| method | /ˈmɛθəd/ |
| nothing | /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ |
| birthday | /ˈbɜːrθˌdeɪ/ |
| toothbrush | /ˈtuːθbrʌʃ/ |
| bathtub | /ˈbæθtʌb/ |
| healthy | /ˈhɛlθi/ |
| toothpick | /ˈtuːθpɪk/ |
| panther | /ˈpænθər/ |
| python | /ˈpaɪθən/ |
| anthem | /ˈænθəm/ |
| pathway | /ˈpæθweɪ/ |
| anything | /ˈɛniˌθɪŋ/ |
| something | /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ |
| toothache | /ˈtuːθeɪk/ |
| ethics | /ˈɛθɪks/ |
Words with “th” = /θ/ at the End
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| bath | /bæθ/ |
| path | /pæθ/ |
| tooth | /tuːθ/ |
| truth | /truːθ/ |
| mouth | /maʊθ/ |
| both | /boʊθ/ |
| north | /nɔːrθ/ |
| south | /saʊθ/ |
| earth | /ɜːrθ/ |
| birth | /bɜːrθ/ |
| growth | /ɡroʊθ/ |
| wrath | /ræθ/ |
| faith | /feɪθ/ |
| wealth | /wɛlθ/ |
| death | /dɛθ/ |
| health | /hɛlθ/ |
| tenth | /tɛnθ/ |
| month | /mʌnθ/ |
| beneath | /bɪˈniːθ/ |
| cloth | /klɔːθ/ |
Voiced /ð/
Words with “th” = /ð/ at the Beginning
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| the | /ðə/ |
| this | /ðɪs/ |
| that | /ðæt/ |
| these | /ðiːz/ |
| those | /ðoʊz/ |
| there | /ðɛər/ |
| their | /ðɛər/ |
| they | /ðeɪ/ |
| them | /ðɛm/ |
| then | /ðɛn/ |
| thus | /ðʌs/ |
| though | /ðoʊ/ |
| therefore | /ˈðɛərfɔːr/ |
| themselves | /ðəmˈsɛlvz/ |
| thou | /ðaʊ/ |
| thine | /ðaɪn/ |
| thee | /ðiː/ |
Words with “th” = /ð/ in the Middle
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| mother | /ˈmʌðər/ |
| father | /ˈfɑːðər/ |
| brother | /ˈbrʌðər/ |
| another | /əˈnʌðər/ |
| gather | /ˈɡæðər/ |
| weather | /ˈwɛðər/ |
| either | /ˈiːðər/ |
| neither | /ˈniːðər/ |
| other | /ˈʌðər/ |
| together | /təˈɡɛðər/ |
| breathing | /ˈbriːðɪŋ/ |
| further | /ˈfɜːrðər/ |
| rather | /ˈræðər/ |
| leather | /ˈlɛðər/ |
| clothing | /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/ |
| worthy | /ˈwɜːrði/ |
Words with “th” = /ð/ at the End
This is a shorter list because it mostly occurs in verbs and adjectives:
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| breathe | /briːð/ |
| bathe | /beɪð/ |
| loathe | /loʊð/ |
| clothe | /kloʊð/ |
| seethe | /siːð/ |
| writhe | /raɪð/ |
| smooth | /smuːð/ |
| soothe | /suːð/ |
| swathe | /sweɪð/ |
| teethe | /tiːð/ |
| sheathe | /ʃiːð/ |
| breathe | /briːð/ |