PRACTICE IPA

Unit 15: Both together /θ/ and /ð/

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A. How to make the sound /s/

Look at the diagram. Listen and say the sound. Make loose contact between the tongue and the back of the teeth and push the air through the gap. There is no voicing (vibration from the throat). Target sound: /θθθθθ/

B. Sound and spelling

/θ/ is spelled th. Listen and say these words.

  • thin: /θɪn/
  • thanks: /θæŋks/
  • thirty: /ˈθɜːr.t̬i/
  • theatre: /ˈθiː.ə.t̬ər/
  • thumb: /θʌm/
  • Thursday: /ˈθɜːrz.deɪ/
  • thirsty: /ˈθɜːr.sti/
  • three: /θriː/

The letter x is usually pronounced /ks/. Listen and say these words.

  • both: /boʊθ/
  • month: /mʌnθ/
  • mouth: /maʊθ/
  • north: /nɔːrθ/
  • south: /saʊθ/
  • birthday: /ˈbɜːrθ.deɪ/

Listen and say these sentences:

  1. I thought April the twelfth was a Tuesday, but it’s a Thursday. /aɪ θɔːt ˈeɪ.prəl ðə twelfθ wəz ə ˈtuːz.deɪ | bʌt ɪts ə ˈθɜːrz.deɪ/
  2. I’ve got three birthdays this month. /aɪv ɡɑːt θriː ˈbɜːrθ.deɪz ðɪs mʌnθ/
  3. Three birthdays? What do you mean? /θriː ˈbɜːrθ.deɪz | wɑːt də ju miːn/
  4. My wife’s, my son’s and my daughter’s! /maɪ waɪfs | maɪ sʌnz ənd maɪ ˈdɔː.tərz/
  5. It’s thirteen degrees in the north, and thirty in the south. /ɪts ˌθɜːrˈtiːn dɪˈɡriːz ɪn ðə nɔːrθ | ənd ˈθɜːr.t̬i ɪn ðə saʊθ/
  6. One third is thirty-three per cent, isn’t it? /wʌn θɜːrd ɪz ˈθɜːr.ti θriː pər ˈsent | ˈɪz.ənt ɪt/
  7. Thirty-three and a third per cent, to be exact. /ˈθɜːr.ti θriː ənd ə θɜːrd pər ˈsent | tə bi ɪɡˈzækt/

C. How to make the sound /ð/

Look at the diagram. Listen and say the sound. Make loose contact between the tongue and the back of the teeth and push the air through the gap. /ð/ is different from /θ/ because there is voicing (vibration from the throat).
Target sound: /ððððð/

D. Sound and spelling

/ð/ is spelled th. Listen and say these words.

  • this: /ðɪs/
  • that: /ðæt/
  • these: /ðiːz/
  • those: /ðoʊz/
  • then: /ðen/
  • they: /ðeɪ/
  • father: /ˈfɑː.ðər/
  • mother: /ˈmʌð.ər/
  • brother: /ˈbrʌð.ər/
  • other: /ˈʌð.ər/
  • together: /təˈɡeð.ər/
  • weather: /ˈweð.ər/
  • without: /wɪˈðaʊt/
  • breathe: /briːð/
  • with: /wɪð/

Listen and say these phrases and sentences:

  1. Can I have one of those, please? /kən aɪ hæv wʌn əv ðoʊz | pliːz/
  2. These? /ðiːz/
  3. No, the others, over there. /noʊ | ði ˈʌð.ərz | ˈoʊ.vər ðer/
  4. Two coffees, please. /tuː ˈkɔː.fiz | pliːz/
  5. With milk? /wɪð mɪlk/
  6. One with, and one without. /wʌn wɪð | ənd wʌn wɪˈðaʊt/