Pronunciation exercises: /θ/ vs /ð/

This page sets out some words teachers can use to help their students become more aware of how they can improve the pronunciation of /θ/ and /ð/.

The difference between /θ/ and /ð/ is that /ð/ is voiced and /θ/ is not. Even if there are very few minimal pairs, these two sounds are clearly distinct phonemes.

/ð/ is much more common in grammar words and /θ/ in content words.

In grey, lines with very few examples. In green, lines with (relatively) more examples.

Grammar words

 * At the beginning of the word: thorough /ˈθʌrə/ /ˈθɜːrəʊ/ - through
 * At the end of the word: both - with (also /wɪð/)
 * In mid position: anything - everything - nothing - something - within - without

Content words

 * At the beginning of the word: thank - theatre - theory - thermometer - thick - thief - thin - thing - think - third - thirsty - thirty - thought - thousand - thread - three - throw - thumb /θʌm/ - Thursday
 * At the end of the word: bath - birth - breath - cloth - death - earth - faith - fourth - growth - health - length - month - moth - mouth - north - south - teeth - tooth - truth - worth
 * In mid position: anthropology - author - athlete - birthday - enthusiasm - ethnic - filthy - healthy - hypothesis - mathematics - method - monthly - wealthy

Grammar words

 * At the beginning of the word: than - that - the - their - them - then - there - these - they - this - those - though - thus - within (AmE also /wɪθˈɪn/) - without (AmE also /wɪθˈaʊt/)
 * In mid position: although - another - either - neither - other - together - whether
 * At the end of the word: with (also /wɪθ/)

Content words

 * At the end of the word: bathe - breathe - clothe - smooth - soothe
 * In mid position: algorithm - bother - brother - clothes /kləʊðz, kləʊz/ - clothing - farther - father - feather - further - gather - leather - logarithm - mother - northern - rather - southern /ˈsʌðərn/ - rhythm - weather - worthy

Irregular plurals of words ending in /θ/, as /ðz/
 * baths - mouths - paths - youths

/ð/ or /θ/

 * booth - notwithstanding - with - withdraw - withdrawal - withhold


 * /ð/, /θ/: loathsome - within - without

Several plurals of words ending in /θ/ are irreglular, pronounced as /ðz/. In American English they may be regular, pronounced as /θs/.
 * /ðz/, /θs/: baths - oaths - sheaths - truths - youths - wreaths

Conversely, at least one plural is regular in Received Pronunciation and may be irregular in American English.
 * /θs/, /ðz/: cloth

Minimal pairs
There are no minimal pairs with two common words.
 * ether /ˈiːθər/ - either /ˈaɪðər, ˈiːðər/; mouth (n.) - mouth (v. move lips); teeth - teethe (to grow teeth)