Hi there this is the /ð/ sound. As in the words:
this /ðɪs/ that /ðæt/
other /'ʌðə/
The /ð/ is a sound from the ‘Consonants Pairs’ group
and it is called the ‘Voiced dental fricative’.
This means that you create fiction between the tongue and top teeth.
The /ð/ sound 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 means the sound
is produced by high pressure air flow between a narrow space in the mouth.
In this case it's the space 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.
The /ð/ phoneme is normally spelled with
the letters 'th' as in the words:
the /ðə/ mother /ˈmʌðə/
whether /ˈweðə/ either /ˈaɪðə/
Here are some words that begin with the /ð/ sound:
they /ðeɪ/ though /ðəʊ
those /ðəʊz/ then /ðen/
Here are some words with the /ð/ sound in the middle:
other /'ʌðə/ although /ɔːlˈðəʊ/
brother /ˈbrʌðə/ southern /ˈsʌðən/
Here are some words with the /ð/ sound at the end /ð/ sound:
with /wɪð/ smooth /smu:ð/
booth /bu:ð/
So, that’s it for the /ð/ sound.
but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of sounds Vowels, Diphthongs,
Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video explaining the the phonetic chart.
You can also click on any of the symbols behind me to see a similar video with lots of examples
and an explanation of how to pronounce that sound.
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