“th” [θ] [ð] consonant sounds | Part 2 | Saying the Dates in English
"th" [θ] [ð] consonant sounds
Part 2
Saying the Dates in English
Audio:
Series on Consonant Sounds in English
Introduction
Today is a very special day on the calendar–it’s Leap Day! Today is February 29th, a day that comes around only once every four years, to make sure our calendars remain accurate.
Knowing how to say the calendar dates in English is not only practical, but a great way to practice pronunciation of the “th” consonant sound.
How to Say the Dates in English
In English, we always say the day of the month as an adjective, such as:
first (1st) | June 1st
thirtieth (30th) | October 30th
fifteenth (15th) | May 15th
You can also say the day before the month if you include an “of”, but this is less common and more formal [in US English]:
the first (1st) of June
the thirtieth (30th) of October
the fifteenth (15th) of May
Because we use the adjective form of the days when saying a date in English, this is a great way to practice your “th” pronunciation.
How to pronounce [θ] and [ð]
To produce the “th” [θ] and [ð] sounds, we:
1) place the tip of the tongue between the teeth; then
2) blow air.
“th” [θ] (voiceless – no vibration in the vocal cords)
“th” [ð] (voiced – the vocal cords vibrate)
Put your hand on your vocal cords (throat/front of neck) to feel the differences in vibration.
[θ] (no vibration | “voiceless”)
[ð] (vibration | “voiced”)
[θ]
[ð]
[θ]
[ð]
Did you feel the difference?
If the tongue does not go between the teeth for [θ] or [ð], English language learners often produce:
[s] or [t] instead of [θ]
(Example: “thought” → “sought”; “thanks” → “tanks”)
[z] or [d] instead of [ð]
(Example: “there” → “zer”; “those” → “doze”)
Let’s practice.
Listen and Repeat
“I was born on February 20th” [TWɛN tiy yɪθ] or [TWɛN niy yɪθ]
“twentieth” / 20th [TWEN tiy yith] or [TWEN niy yith]
“The wedding is on the 15th of March” [fɪf TiYNθ]
“fifteenth” / 15th [fɪf TiYNθ]
“Her party is on July 10th” [TɛNθ]
“tenth” / 10th [TɛNθ]
“School starts August 30th” [θɝR diy yɪθ]
“thirtieth” / 30th [θɝR diy yɪθ]
“My birthday is October 5th” [fifθ] or [fiθ]
“fifth” / 5th [fifθ] or [fiθ]
Note that in English, when there are a group of consonant sounds together, Americans tend to drop a sound.
This is why:
“twentieth” / 20th → [TWEN tiy yith] or [TWEN niy yith]
“fifth” / 5th → [fifθ] or [fiθ]
Series on Consonant Sounds in English
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