American English sound
/θ/: how to pronounce “th” in think, three and both
/θ/ is the voiceless “th” in think, three and both. Air flows through a narrow gap between your tongue and your upper front teeth, with no voice.
Its partner /ð/ is the voiced “th” in this, they and mother. Both are spelled th, which is why many learners don't realize English has two different th sounds.
/θ/
the voiceless “th”
How to make the sound
- 1Touch the tip of your tongue lightly to the back of your upper front teeth, or put it just between your teeth.
- 2Blow air out gently through the gap; you should feel it on the tip of your tongue.
- 3Keep your voice off: with a hand on your throat, you should feel no buzz.
- 4Don't stop the air. /θ/ is a continuous sound, unlike /t/.
- Tongue
- tip-dental
- Lips
- neutral
- Voice
- voiceless
Hear it in words
Tap a word to hear it.
At the start
In the middle
At the end
How it's spelled
- th: think, both, healthy, month
Common mistakes
Saying /s/: “sink” for think
The tongue stays behind the teeth instead of touching them. Push the tip forward until it touches the upper teeth.
Saying /t/: “tree” for three
The tongue stops the air completely. Let it touch lightly so the air keeps flowing.
Saying /f/: “free” for three
The lip touches the teeth instead of the tongue. Keep your lower lip relaxed and away from your teeth.
Adding voice
With voice on, think starts to sound like the th in this. Whisper the th, then add the vowel.
Who finds /θ/ hard
Speakers of these languages often replace it with a sound from their own language. Linked languages have their own accent traps page.
Often say /s/ instead
Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian
Often say /t/ instead
Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
Minimal pairs
Each pair differs by one sound. If both words sound the same when you say them, practice this pair.
Try it
“I think both of the three math tests are on Thursday.”
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How do I know if “th” is /θ/ or /ð/?
There's no spelling rule. Small grammar words (the, this, they, that, there) and many words with th between vowels (mother, other) use voiced /ð/; most content words (think, three, health, both) use voiceless /θ/.
Does the tongue have to go between the teeth?
No. Touching the back of the upper teeth works just as well, and many Americans do it that way. What matters is a light contact that lets the air through.