Lessons Unit 1, lesson 36
ð as in this
One consonant, on its own page. Hear it, watch where it sits in each word's sheet, then say the words yourself.
What do the marks mean?
Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.
ðthe th in this
Same position — tongue tip between the teeth — but now switch your voice on so it buzzes: this. If it sounds like d or z, slow down and feel your teeth on the tongue.
Now say it yourself
Read each word from its sheet, out loud, three times. Where there's a play button, listen first and copy what you hear. Slow is fine — speaking clearly matters more than speaking fast. Tap a word's microphone to record yourself and see which sounds landed.
Check your pronunciation, on this device. The first use downloads a small AI listener (about 40 MB, one time, then it's cached). Your voice is analyzed here in your browser — it never leaves your device.
Voiced th: the buzzing version
ð sits in the same tongue-between-teeth position as its voiceless twin θ, but now the voice is switched on, so it buzzes instead of hisses. Say this and that with a hand on your throat and feel the hum start right away.
If it comes out sounding like d or z, your tongue is probably slipping back behind your teeth instead of poking between them — slow down and check in a mirror.
Tiny word, huge frequency
This sound rarely shows up in content words, but it's packed into the most common function words in the language: the, this, that, them, they, there, then. You'll say it more than almost any other consonant, so it's worth getting comfortable early.
In family words like mother, father, and brother, keep the tongue tip forward and buzzing between the teeth, even mid-word where it's tempting to rush and let it slide back.