Introduction

Quick test: Can you say these three words clearly and differently? "Think," "sink," and "ting." For native English speakers, these sound completely different. But for many Japanese learners, they all sound similar or the same! This is because the "TH" sound (θ in "think" and ð in "this") doesn't exist in Japanese. Your mouth has never made this sound before!

Many Japanese students tell me: "I can't make the TH sound!" or "People don't understand me when I say 'three' – they think I'm saying 'tree' or 'free'!" This is one of the most common and frustrating pronunciation challenges for Japanese learners. You're definitely not alone if you struggle with this sound.

Some students avoid words with TH. They say "I believe" instead of "I think" because "think" is too difficult. But avoiding TH words forever isn't a good solution! The TH sound appears in many common English words: the, this, that, think, thank, thing, three, month, both, with. You need these words!

Today, I'll teach you the exact tongue position and technique for making TH sounds correctly. I'll give you specific practice exercises and tricks that work especially well for Japanese learners. By the end of this blog, you'll understand exactly what your tongue should do. Let's solve this TH mystery together!

Main Tips

Understanding the Two TH Sounds

First, important news: there are actually TWO different TH sounds in English!

Voiceless TH (θ) – like in "think": Words: think, thank, three, month, both, math, path. Your vocal cords don't vibrate (it's a "soft" sound)

Voiced TH (ð) – like in "this": Words: this, that, the, mother, father, brother, weather. Your vocal cords vibrate (it's a "stronger" sound)

Try this test: Put your hand on your throat. Say "think" and "this." Can you feel the difference? "This" makes your throat vibrate! "Think" doesn't vibrate.

Both TH sounds use the same tongue position. The only difference is voicing (vibration). So if you learn the tongue position, you can make both sounds!

The Correct Tongue Position: The Secret

Here's what your tongue should do (this is the most important part!):

1. Stick your tongue out slightly between your teeth. The tip of your tongue should touch the back of your upper front teeth, or even stick out a tiny bit between your upper and lower teeth.
2. Blow air gently through the small space between your tongue and your teeth. You should feel air flowing over your tongue and through your teeth.
3. For "th" in "this," add voice (vibration in your throat). For "th" in "think," don't add voice (just air).

The key point: Your tongue touches your teeth or goes between your teeth! This is very different from Japanese sounds. In Japanese, your tongue never goes between your teeth for any sound.

What Japanese Learners Often Do Wrong

Many Japanese learners substitute other sounds for TH:

Common mistake 1: Using "S" sound "Think" becomes "sink" Why: Your tongue is behind your teeth (like Japanese サ/sa), not touching or between your teeth

Common mistake 2: Using "T" sound "Think" becomes "tink" Why: Your tongue taps the roof of your mouth quickly (like Japanese タ/ta), instead of staying between your teeth

Common mistake 3: Using "F" or "Z" sound "Three" becomes "free" "This" becomes "zis" Why: You're using your lips instead of your tongue and teeth

The solution: Make sure your tongue touches or goes slightly between your teeth. This might feel strange, embarrassing, or even a little uncomfortable at first. That's normal! Your mouth is learning a new movement.

Mirror Practice: See What You're Doing

Get a small mirror or use your phone camera. This is very helpful for TH practice!

Exercise: Say "thank you" slowly while watching your mouth in the mirror. You should see your tongue tip touch your teeth or stick out slightly for the "th" sound. If you can't see your tongue, you're probably making the wrong sound!

Try these while watching in the mirror:

• "The" (tongue touches teeth, voice on)
• "Think" (tongue touches teeth, no voice)
• "Three" (tongue touches teeth, no voice)
• "Mother" (tongue touches teeth in the middle of the word, voice on)

Watch your tongue. Make sure it goes to your teeth every time!

Minimal Pairs Practice: Hearing and Feeling the Difference

"Minimal pairs" are words that sound almost the same except for one sound. Practising minimal pairs helps your brain understand the difference.

Practice these pairs. Say them slowly and feel where your tongue goes:

TH vs. S:

• think / sink (tongue between teeth vs. tongue behind teeth)
• thank / sank
• thick / sick
• mouth /mouse

TH vs. T:

• think / tink
• thank / tank
• three / tree
• math / mat

TH vs. F:

• three / free (tongue between teeth vs. lips together)
• thin / fin
• thought / fought

When you practice, exaggerate the TH sound. Stick your tongue out MORE than necessary. Make it obvious! After you get comfortable with the exaggerated version, you can make it more subtle and natural.

Special Tips for Japanese Learners

Here are some tricks that work especially well for Japanese speakers:

Tip 1: Think of it as "tongue bite" Gently bite your tongue with your teeth, then release air. This automatically creates the right position!

Tip 2: Start with "th" in the middle of words. Words where TH is in the middle are sometimes easier:

• mother, father, brother
• nothing, something, anything
• birthday, toothbrush

Practice these first before trying "think" or "the"!

Tip 3: Practice "the" 100 times "The" is the most common word in English! If you can say "the" correctly every time, people will understand you much better. Practice: "the book, the cat, the house, the car..." Say it 100 times, focusing on tongue position.

Tip 4: Don't be embarrassed to stick your tongue out. Japanese culture values modesty and keeping your mouth closed. Sticking your tongue out might feel rude or embarrassing! But for TH sounds, you MUST stick your tongue out a little. It's not rude in English-speaking cultures – it's just pronunciation!

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Daily TH Routine (5 Minutes)

Every morning this week, practice this sequence 10 times:

1. "The, the, the" (slow, watch your tongue in the mirror)
2. "Think, thank, three" (feel tongue touch teeth)
3. "This, that, these, those" (add voice)
4. "My mother and father" (TH in the middle)

Record yourself on your phone. Listen back. Can you hear the TH sound clearly?

Exercise 2: Tongue Position Check

Put a clean finger gently in front of your mouth (about 2 cm away). Say these words. You should feel air blowing on your finger from between your tongue and teeth:

• Think (feel air?)
• Thank (feel air?)
• Three (feel air?)

If you don't feel air, your tongue isn't in the right position!

Exercise 3: Real-Life Practice

This week, challenge yourself to say these common TH phrases in real situations (or practice alone):

• "Thank you!" (when someone helps you)
• "I think..." (when sharing your opinion)
• "The weather is nice!" (small talk)
• "That's interesting!" (when listening to someone)

Focus on making the TH sound correctly, even if it feels slow at first. With practice, it will become natural and fast!

Conclusion

The TH sound is challenging for Japanese learners because it doesn't exist in Japanese. Your mouth has never made this movement before! But now you know the secret: your tongue must touch or go slightly between your teeth, and you blow air through the small space. That's it!

Don't feel embarrassed about sticking your tongue out. Don't worry if it feels strange or uncomfortable at first. Every Japanese learner feels this way! With daily practice, your mouth muscles will learn this new position. After a few weeks, the TH sound will start to feel more natural.

Remember: making the TH sound correctly is important because it affects many common English words. If you say "tree" instead of "three," or "sink" instead of "think," people might misunderstand you. But with correct pronunciation, your English will be much clearer!

Practice with the mirror, use minimal pairs, and don't give up! Every time you practice, you're building new muscle memory. Be patient with yourself.

If you want personal feedback on your TH pronunciation, or if you want to practice with a teacher who can correct you in real-time, I'd love to help you in a Cafetalk lesson. We can work on this together! You can do this – I believe in you!