Th, v and w

Make both th sounds, and keep v and w apart. Lesson 16 of 58: Pronunciation, every level.

The two th sounds

• Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth and blow. Without your voice it is the /θ/ in think, three, thanks. With your voice switched on (feel your throat buzz) it is the /ð/ in this, the, mother.
• The common substitutes change the word: “think” becomes “sink” or “tink”, “three” becomes “tree”, “they” becomes “day”.
• think, sink (/θ/ or /s/)
• three, tree (/θ/ or /t/)
• they, day (/ð/ or /d/)
• Thank you for this. (Both sounds in one line)
• Tip: Look in a mirror: you should see the tip of your tongue for a moment on every th.

V and w

• For /v/, your top teeth touch your bottom lip, and you buzz. For /w/, your teeth touch nothing: round your lips into a small circle, then open them. “Very well” uses both: teeth on lip for v, rounded lips for w.
• vest, west
• vine, wine
• very well (Teeth, then lips)

Lines to have ready

• Thank you very much. (θ, v and w in one line)
• I think so. (θ in think)
• This is the third Thursday this month. (A th workout)
• We’ll be very well prepared. (v and w)

Your turn to speak

• Read aloud, slowly, then naturally, and record yourself: “On Thursday the thirtieth, three thousand very wet visitors waited at the west gate, thinking the weather would get worse.” Listen back for every th, v and w.
• My tongue came out for every th
• I kept v and w different
• I listened back and repeated the hardest word five times

Related

• Lesson 15: Gestures, eye contact and space
• Lesson 17: R and l, endings and clusters
• The whole English course

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