American English Sounds
  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors

/ð/

LISTEN

listen_to_-eth-.mp3
File Size: 157 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/ð/…/ð/…/ð/…/ð/…
​
this…breathe…other…clothing

WHAT IS IT?

Pronunciation:
The sound /ð/ is a voiced, dental, fricative consonant.
  • Touch the back of your upper teeth with the tip of your tongue.
  • Breathe out, while moving your tongue sharply downward, and let air flow past your tongue and out of your mouth.
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.
 
The consonant /ð/ can be in these consonant clusters:
  • ​Beginning of a Syllable
  • ​End of a Syllable
<
>
(none)
eth_final_clusters.mp3
File Size: 94 kb
File Type: mp3
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​/ðz/ (“ths” / “thes”) - clothes
/ðd/ (“thed”) - bathed

Spelling:
  • "th" – that, northern
  • "the" - breathe, bathe

Note: the sound /θ/ (as in “thin”, “think’) is also spelled "th". The sound /θ/ is more common, while the sound /ð/ most frequently occurs in grammatical words (that, them, those) or in the middle of words before -ing or -er (father, clothing).
 
eth_grammar.mp3
File Size: 208 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

eth_grammar2.mp3
File Size: 104 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

Grammar Tip:
The article “the” and all demonstrative pronouns (“this, that, these, those”) contain /ð/. These words are very common in spoken English and are often used before nouns.
  • the girl
  • this book
  • that car
  • these students
  • those boys
 

Also, the sound /ð/ is in several important connecting words. These words are more common in writing, but they may also be used in formal speaking.
  • although
  • therefore
  • furthermore

COMPARE

Compare /ð/ with /d/:
compare_eth-d_1.mp3
File Size: 119 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/ð/.../d/.../ð/.../d/.../ð/.../d/…

These are both voiced consonants pronounced in a similar position. However, /ð/ is a voiced dental fricative and /d/ is a voiced alveolar stop.     
​
You can hear the difference between /ð/ and /d/ in these words.
compare_eth-d_words.mp3
File Size: 231 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. those, B. doze
2. A. then, B. den
3. A. breathe, B. breed
4. A. mother, B. mutter
5. A. loathe, B. load​
6. A. worthy, B. wordy

​Practice recognizing words with /ð/ and /d/ by taking the quiz below.

Now, compare /ð/ with /z/:
compare_eth-z_1.mp3
File Size: 116 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/ð/…/z/…/ð/…/z/…/ð/…/z/…

These are both voiced fricatives pronounced in a similar position. However, /ð/ is a voiced dental fricative and /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative.   

You can hear the difference between /ð/ and /z/ in these words.
compare_eth-z_words.mp3
File Size: 215 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. then, B. zen
2. A. writhe, B. rise
3. A. clothe, B. close
4. A. bathe, B. bays
5. A. breathing, B. breezing
6. A. soothe, B. sues

​Practice recognizing words with /ð/ and /z/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-eth-.mp3
File Size: 497 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. these
2. theirs
3. 
then
4. themselves
5. therefore

6. loathe
7. soothe
8. bathe
9. clothes 
10. worthy
11. weather
12. brother
13. either
14. southern
​15. breathing
16. rhythm
17. algorithm
18. furthermore
19. otherwise
20. motherly

Now, practice /ð/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-eth-.mp3
File Size: 1234 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. rather – bother – this
I’d rather not bother with this class.

2. those – mother – father
Those plants are for my mother and father.

3. the – weather – southern
The weather in the southern US is very warm.

4. another – this – leather
I want another coat, not this leather one.

5. although – farther – rather
Although it’s farther away, I’d rather fly out of Chicago.

6. whether – other – clothing
I’m not sure whether the other clothing will fit me.
​

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:
  • Male 1 (US Midwest - St Louis) - words, sentences
  • Male 2 (US Midwest - Iowa) - words, sentences
  • Male 3 (US Midwest) - words, sentences
  • Female 1 (US Northeast) - words, sentences
  • Female 2 (US Southeast) - words, sentences

USE IT!

Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

Prepare:​
The Northern and Southern Hemispheres are the two halves of the Earth. They are divided by an imaginary line called the Equator. Look at the following geographical facts. Decide which facts are true for the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere, both hemispheres, or neither hemisphere. (If you don’t know, you can guess or use the Internet to find answers.)
 
Example: The continent of Europe is in this hemisphere. (Northern Hemisphere)
​​
  • This hemisphere mostly has warmer weather than the other hemisphere.
  • In this hemisphere, it’s autumn in September.
  • In this hemisphere, it’s winter in July.
  • In this hemisphere, it’s spring in December.
  • The continent of Australia is in this hemisphere.
  • The USA is in this hemisphere.​
  • This hemisphere has mostly land.
  • This hemisphere has mostly water.
  • Most of the world’s population live in this hemisphere.
  • The sun rises in the east and sets in the west in this hemisphere.
  • ​This hemisphere mostly has warmer weather than the other hemisphere.
  • This hemisphere mostly has warmer weather than the other hemisphere.
  • In this hemisphere, it’s autumn in September.
  • In this hemisphere, it’s winter in July.
  • In this hemisphere, it’s spring in December.
  • The continent of Australia is in this hemisphere.
  • The USA is in this hemisphere.​
  • This hemisphere has mostly land.
  • This hemisphere has mostly water.
  • Most of the world’s population live in this hemisphere.
  • The sun rises in the east and sets in the west in this hemisphere.
  • ​This hemisphere mostly has warmer weather than the other hemisphere.

Record:
​Imagine you are giving a presentation to kids about the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Organize the facts into a short presentation. In your recording, present at least 5 facts. 


©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
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  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors