IELTS Pronunciation Practice: The voiced th sound /ð/

Technique

How to say it

1
Rest the very tip of your tongue lightly against the bottom edge of your upper front teeth.
2
Release a steady stream of air through the small gap while engaging your vocal cords to create a smooth buzz.
3
Keep your tongue soft and relaxed so you avoid pressing firmly against your teeth and creating a hard stop.
4
Practise gliding smoothly from the buzzing sound into the subsequent vowel in common words like 'this' and 'there'.

7 pairs

Minimal pairs

Say each pair aloud. If the two words sound the same when you record yourself, slow down and go back to the steps above.

then/den
breathe/breed
they/day
teethe/teeth
clothing/closing
worthy/wordy
soothe/sue

12 sentences

Practice lines from IELTS-style answers

1
My father and mother both work together in the city centre.
/ð/ in father, mother, together, the
2
I'd rather live there than in another crowded urban neighbourhood.
/ð/ in rather, there, than, another
3
Whether we like it or not, the weather affects our daily commute.
/ð/ in whether, the, weather
4
These days, they gather with their relatives every other weekend.
/ð/ in these, they, gather, their, other
5
Although that flat is smaller, it's smoother to travel from there.
/ð/ in although, that, smoother, there
6
I usually breathe deeply to soothe my nerves before an important test.
/ð/ in breathe, soothe
7
Neither of my brothers enjoy going out without their close friends.
/ð/ in neither, brothers, without, their
8
We should bother to organise another meeting with them this Thursday.
/ð/ in bother, another, them, this
9
Those new policies will breathe fresh life into the local economy.
/ð/ in those, breathe, the
10
My grandparents live further down that road, just past the northern park.
/ð/ in further, that, the, northern
11
To be honest, I prefer this leather jacket over the other options.
/ð/ in this, leather, the, other
12
They couldn't fathom why another delay occurred during their morning journey.
/ð/ in they, fathom, another, their

Say it in a real answer

Record an IELTS Speaking answer and get a Pronunciation band from the AI examiner, with the exact words that were hard to understand.

Watch out

Common mistakes

→Replacing /ð/ with a plosive /d/, which turns words like 'they' and 'then' into 'day' and 'den'.
→Substituting /ð/ with /z/ or /v/, causing 'mother' to sound like 'muzzer' or 'brother' to sound like 'bruvver'.
→Dropping the vocal vibration entirely, which confuses voiced words like the verb 'breathe' with the voiceless noun 'breath'.

In the exam: Because /ð/ appears frequently in vital linking words such as 'although', 'therefore', and 'either', articulating it clearly makes your discourse markers sound polished and effortless.

Frequently asked questions

How much does pronunciation count in IELTS Speaking?+

A quarter of your Speaking band. Examiners judge how easy you are to understand and how well you use features like stress, rhythm and intonation, not whether you sound British or American.

Do I need a native accent for Band 8?+

No. An accent is fine at every band. What matters is that individual sounds are clear, stress falls on the right syllables and your intonation helps the listener follow you.

How should I practise these lines?+

Read each line slowly, then at natural speed, then record yourself and compare. Say the sentences in a real answer next, because examiners hear your pronunciation while you think, not while you read.

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The voiced th sound /ð/ (this, mother)

How to say it

Minimal pairs

Practice lines from IELTS-style answers

Common mistakes

Frequently asked questions

More consonant sounds practice