How to pronounce “th”: think, this and three
Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth and blow air out: that is the th in think and three. Add voice for the th in this and that.
“I tink dis is de tird time.”
“I think this is the third time.”
Why Hindi speakers say it
Hindi has no sound like English th. Hindi speakers usually replace it with थ or द, made with the tongue behind the teeth, so think sounds like “tink” and this like “dis”. English has two th sounds, both made with the tongue between the teeth: one without voice (think, three, month) and one with voice (this, that, mother).
Three more examples
| Practise | How to say it |
|---|---|
| think, three, month, birthday | Tongue lightly between the teeth, blow air out, no voice. |
| this, that, mother, weather | Same tongue position, add voice: you should feel your throat buzz. |
| tree / three, day / they | Practise the pairs slowly: tongue behind the teeth for the first word, between them for the second. |
Quick self-check
Answer in your head, then open the answer.
For the th in “three”, your tongue is…
- behind your top teeth
- lightly between your teeth
- at the back of your mouth
Show answer
b) lightly between your teeth Both th sounds put the tongue between the teeth.
Which word has the voiced th (your throat buzzes)?
- think
- month
- mother
Show answer
c) mother Mother has the voiced th, like this and that.
“Dis” is a common slip for which word?
- this
- dish
- these
Show answer
a) this Dis replaces the voiced th of this with d.
Practise it out loud
Knowing the rule is not the same as saying it right under pressure. In WordSlick you practise sentences like these out loud with AskSlick, the AI tutor, and get corrections explained in Hindi. Mistakes you keep making come back in later sessions until they stop.
Questions
Do I need a perfect th to be understood?
No. Many fluent speakers around the world replace th and are understood. A clear th makes your English easier to follow and helps in speaking tests, but clarity matters more than accent.
Are there words where th sounds like t?
Yes, a few names: Thomas, Thailand and the Thames are said with a plain t.