Search from various English teachers...
Syria flagMary
Does (th) always pronounced as /ð/ (this) or /θ/ (thing) In Arabic we always pronounce alveolar consonants as /s/, /z/, /t/ or /d/ It's actually not formal but if someone says (th) as /ð/ or /θ/ even in formal conferences, everyone will laugh at him I find it impossible to say these words for example: truths, fifths, sixths I pronounce them by putting an /e/ as truthes, fifthes but I can never say x the th (as in sixth), I say just (six)

Answers · 14

2
I understand your question as "Sometimes 'th' is hard for me. Is it OK if I don't say it properly?" Of course if you want to speak English well, the answer is no, it's not OK. Some students try shortcuts and use a substitute, and it always sounds unnatural. I too had to learn and re-learn sounds to speak a different language, and my personal experience tells me that avoiding the problem leads to misunderstandings, comedy and the wrong train station. Admittedly, words like "sixth" and "truths" need a little concentration. Practice moving your tongue between the 's' and the 'th', and it will become easier in time. Perhaps you could sit down with a native speaker and ask him or her to show you exactly how it's done. You can also ask the speaker if you are pronouncing 'th' properly. Sometimes the problem exists because the sound you want to make isn't right in the first place.
2
Yes, 'th' is pronounced as either /ð/ or /θ/ The 'th' is pronounced at the end of the word 'sixth', but it's very slight. It's not nearly as long or as clearly pronounced as a 'th' at the beginning or end of a word. As you are finishing the /ks/ sound to say the 'x' you just lightly put your tongue behind your top teeth for a second. That's all you need to do to end the word, and to make it different from 'six'. Try it!
1
'th' is almost always pronounced as /ð/ or /θ/. The River Thames (/tɛmz/) is the only exception I can think of at the minute. It's not important for you to pronounce 'th' like a native speaker. Individual phoneme pronunciation is much less important than sentence stress and intonation. Everyone will understand you if you pronounce /θ/ as /s/ and /θ/ as /z/.

Still haven’t found your answers?

Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!

Start Learning Today