Hi there this is the ð sound. As in the words:
- this /ðɪs/
- that /ðæt/
- other /’ʌðə/
The ð sound is from the ‘Consonants Pairs’ group and it is called the ‘Voiced dental fricative’. This means that you create friction between the tongue and top teeth.
How to pronounce the ð sound
It is made through the mouth and it is Voiced which means that you vibrate your vocal chords to make the sound.
It is defined by position of your tongue and teeth and it is a fricative, which is a sound that is produced by high pressure air flow between a narrow space in the mouth. In this case it is between the tip of the tongue and the top teeth.
To produce the sound you have to stick out your tongue a little. This can feel very unnatural for some people who are not used to it. But it is essential to produce the sound correctly. Rest your top teeth on your tongue and force air out between your teeth whilst voicing out.
How the /ð/ phoneme is Spelled
The /ð/ phoneme is normally spelled with the letters ‘th’ as in the words: As in the words:
- the /ðə/
- mother /ˈmʌðə/
- whether /ˈweðə/
- either /ˈaɪðə/
Examples of the /ð/ phoneme
Here are some words that begin with the it:
- they /ðeɪ/
- though /ðəʊ
- those /ðəʊz/
- then /ðen/
Here are some words with the/ð/ phoneme in the middle:
- other /’ʌðə/
- although /ɔːlˈðəʊ/
- brother /ˈbrʌðə/
- southern /ˈsʌðən/
Here are some words with the /ð/ phoneme at the end:
- with /wɪð/
- smooth /smu:ð/
- booth /bu:ð/
So, that’s it for the ð sound.