Mastering the American Accent » Comparing th with s and z

Comparing th with s and z

Some people wrongly pronounce the voiceless th as an s. They say sank and thank the same way. They also tend to wrongly pronounce the voiced th as a z. They say breeze and breathe the same way. Again, the mistake lies in the position of the tongue. For the s and z, there is also air passing through the tip of the tongue, but the tongue is not touching the teeth. It is touching a little bit behind, on the gum ridge. Pay attention to these tongue positions shown in the illustrations below as you do the following exercises.

Word Contrasts for s Versus th

/s//θ/
1.massmath
2.sankthank
3.tensetenth
4.singthing

Word Contrasts for z Versus th

/z//ð/
1.closeclothe
2.breezebreathe
3.baysbathe
4.Zenthen

Word Pairs for Practice

It’s especially difficult to pronounce the th sound correctly if the z and s are nearby. Make sure that all of the consonant sounds are clearly heard. Don’t blend them together and don’t substitute one for the other.

  1. Does that
  2. What’s that
  3. She’s thin
  4. fifth step
  5. With something
  6. Sixth song

Practice Sentences for th Versus s and z

  1. He’s enthusiastic that it’s his sixth birthday.
  2. Is that the zoo that has the zebras?
  3. He’s thankful for his wealth.
  4. He’s thinking about his strengths.
  5. If it’s Thursday, it’s the same thing.

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