English Pronunciation Tip of the Day
Tip 70
Category:
Spelling-to-sound
Author: JAM
<th>
The sequence <th> has three different pronunciations:
/T/ as in think
/D/ as in that
/t/ as in Thames = /temz/.
Word-initially /T/ is the commonest, except in grammatical words where the next sound is a vowel. So /D/ in all of the following:
than that the their theirs them then thence there (and compounds such as thereafter) these this thither (/"DID@/) those though thus
In the middle of a word /D/ is commonest (brother either heathen mother other etc.), but there are quite a few words with /T/. Here are a few examples: catholic ether lengthen method pathetic.
Word-finally /T/ is commonest (as in bath, breath, cloth, path, truth etc.), but notice /D/ in smooth and mouth (verb) and either /T/ or /D/ in booth and with.
When the spelling is word-final <-the>, the pronunciation is /D/, as in bathe breathe teethe loathe etc.
<th> is silent in asthma = /"{sm@/
See Tip 51 for irregular noun plurals involving <th>.