LISTEN

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

WHAT IS THIS?

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:

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).

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/:

/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.

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 here (external link).

Now, compare /ð/ with /z/:

/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.

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 here (external link).

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:

Now, practice /ð/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.

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 – US Midwest (St. Louis)

Male – US Midwest (Iowa)

Male – US Midwest

Female – US Northeast

Female – US Southeast

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.

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. 

©2024, Christine Wingate

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