S14: "Tank you": the th sounds

"I tink so." "Tank you." "Dis is my house." "De weather is nice." Most Bangla speakers say a hard /t/ or /d/ where English needs a soft /th/. People will still understand you. But the examiner notices, and it affects how clear and natural you sound.

Why this matters

The /th/ sounds are everywhere in English. Think about how often you say the, this, that, they, there, think, thing, three, with, both. If all of them come out as /t/ or /d/, it adds up across the whole test.

Two different th sounds

English has two th sounds. The tongue position is the same. The only difference is your voice.

• Soft th (no voice): think, three, thank, both, month, health, mouth. Just air, like a gentle hiss.
• Buzzing th (with voice): this, that, the, they, mother, weather, with. Your voice buzzes while the air comes out.

Tip: put your hand on your throat. For the buzzing th, you'll feel a vibration. For the soft th, you won't.

How to make the th sound

1. Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth. Just a little. You can see it in the mirror.
2. Blow air out gently over your tongue.
3. Don't press hard. If you press, it becomes /t/ or /d/.

The main mistake is that the tongue hits the back of the teeth and stops the air. That's /t/. For th, the air must keep flowing.

Minimal pairs: practise these out loud

Common words to practise

• Soft: think, thanks, three, thirty, thousand, month, both, health, method, author, birthday, maths
• Buzzing: the, this, that, these, those, they, them, there, other, mother, father, brother, weather, together, without

Practice sentences

1. "I think this is the third time this month."
2. "My mother and father both think that health is everything."
3. "There are three thousand people there on Thursdays."

A practical tip

You don't need to get every single th perfect in the test. Focus first on the words you say most: the, this, that, think, thing, three. If those are clear, you've solved most of the problem.

Try it yourself

Record yourself reading this: "I think that the weather this month is better than the weather last month. My brother thinks the same thing."

Listen back. Count how many th sounds were clear.

Honest note

This takes practice. When you speak fast, your old habit will come back. That's okay. Slow down a little on th words at first. With time, your tongue will learn the new position.

Your task today

Practise the minimal pairs table with a mirror for 5 minutes. Then record the three practice sentences.