Spelling list: Some th words

A consonant digraph is when two consonants come together to create one sound.

The word digraph comes from Greek and can be split into: di (two) and graph (written).

These examples use the letters t and h to spell two slightly different sounds – the unvoiced th (/θ/) and the voiced th (/ð/).

But fear not, understanding these sounds is simpler than it seems!

The unvoiced th (/θ/) is produced when air passes between the tongue and the upper front teeth, as in words like think and thick.

On the other hand, the voiced th (/ð/) occurs when the vocal cords vibrate while making the sound, as heard in words like this and brother.

Click on the speaker icons to hear each of these th words pronounced. Repeat them. Do you notice how your tongue changes position?

think	I think my spelling will improve if I practise every day.
thank	Thank you for the invitation to the party.
thick	The bear has thick fur.
thin	Stray cats are often very thin.
three	The wedding cake was in three tiers.
third	He came third in the race.
thousand	I won a thousand dollars in the draw.
thought	I thought the film was really good. *
thrill	Fast fairground rides give me a thrill.
throat	I keep sneezing and my throat is sore.
throb	Is it a burning pain or is it more like a throb?
through	He kicked the ball through the window.
throw	I want to throw a snowball at my brothers. *
thrush	A thrush has speckled plumage.
thunder	The thunder made a tremendous noise. *
cloth	Silk is a very fine type of cloth.
fifth	May is the fifth month.
tenth	Today is the tenth anniversary of our marriage.
length	A centimetre is a unit of length. *
strength	Superman had superhuman strength.