IELTS Pronunciation Practice: The voiceless th sound /θ/

Technique

How to say it

1
Place the tip of your tongue lightly against the edge of your upper front teeth so air can still escape.
2
Blow air continuously through the small gap between your teeth and tongue to create a gentle friction sound.
3
Keep your vocal cords still and quiet, ensuring there is no buzzing or vibration in your throat.
4
Transition smoothly into following vowels without pressing your tongue too hard or creating a sudden 't' stop.

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.

think/sink
three/tree
thin/fin
maths/mass
path/pass
fourth/force
thumb/sum

12 sentences

Practice lines from IELTS-style answers

1
I think that living through three cold months in the north is tough.
/θ/ in think, through, three, months, north
2
To be truthful, my father taught me car maintenance throughout my youth.
/θ/ in truthful, throughout, youth
3
I had to rethink my whole thesis after speaking to my maths tutor.
/θ/ in rethink, thesis, maths
4
Thousands of wealthy tourists travel south every summer to walk along coastal paths.
/θ/ in thousands, wealthy, south, paths
5
My birthday is on the thirtieth of next month, which is quite exciting.
/θ/ in birthday, thirtieth, month
6
I thought about taking a third module in healthy food and nutrition.
/θ/ in thought, third, healthy
7
Both of my brothers walked through the thick forest near our neighbourhood.
/θ/ in both, through, thick
8
I honestly do not think there is anything worth watching on telly tonight.
/θ/ in think, anything, worth
9
We spent three months planning our holiday to ensure everything went smoothly.
/θ/ in three, months, everything
10
The truth is that heavy traffic threatens public health in modern cities.
/θ/ in truth, threatens, health
11
I thank my lucky stars that I received a thorough education in maths.
/θ/ in thank, thorough, maths
12
A sudden thunderstorm hit our hometown on Thursday, causing a total blackout.
/θ/ in thunderstorm, Thursday

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 /θ/ with /s/, which makes words like 'think' sound like 'sink'.
→Substituting /θ/ with /t/ by stopping the airflow entirely against the upper teeth.
→Using the /f/ sound instead of /θ/, which causes 'three' to sound like 'free'.

In the exam: Pronounce common opinion phrases like 'I think' and 'the truth is' carefully at the start of your answers, as clear dental sounds instantly signal strong phonetic control to the examiner.

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 voiceless th sound /θ/ (think, month)

How to say it

Minimal pairs

Practice lines from IELTS-style answers

Common mistakes

Frequently asked questions

More consonant sounds practice