Why it's difficult
The /θ/ sound does not exist in Bangla, so it is usually said as a hard t or th with a puff (থ). The listener may hear tank for thank.
How to make it
- 1Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your top and bottom teeth — you can see it in a mirror.
- 2Blow air softly over your tongue. No voice, no pop: it is a gentle, continuous hiss.
- 3Then move straight into the vowel. Keep the tongue relaxed — don't bite it.
Check yourself: Look in a mirror: for /θ/ you should see the tip of your tongue. For /t/ you should not.
Practise these words
think
/θɪŋk/
method
/meθəd/
healthy
/helθiː/
month
/mʌnθ/
Minimal pairs — hear the difference
Only one sound changes. Play them one after the other, watch the mouth, then say them yourself.
thank
/θæŋk/
tank
/tæŋk/
three
/θriː/
tree
/triː/
thin
/θɪn/
tin
/tɪn/
thought
/θɔːt/
taught
/tɔːt/
Say it in a sentence
“I think the third theory is worth thinking about.”
Record yourself and compare
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