About this activity
Ten words with the voiceless /th/ at the start: think, three, thin, thumb, thread, throne, thick, thaw, thigh, theme. Three of them — three, thread, throne — put the sound in a cluster with /r/, which is a considerably harder context and worth separating from the simple words.
How to use it in a session
Show the tongue. /th/ is fully visible — the tongue tip comes forward between the teeth — and a mirror does more here than any description. Do the simple words first: think, thin, thumb, thick. Save three, thread and throne for last, since the cluster with /r/ requires the tongue to move from the front of the mouth to a completely different position at speed. Eight minutes covers the ten.
What to listen for
Listen for /f/ or /t/ replacing it. Fink for think means the tongue has stayed behind the teeth; tink means it has gone to the ridge instead of forward. Watch the cluster words specifically — a student who has thin and not three has the sound and not the transition, which needs different work.
Carrying it home
Think, three and thumb are ordinary words. /th/ is visible enough that a family can see whether the tongue came forward, which makes it one of the easier sounds for them to notice at home.
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Second through fifth. /th/ is among the last sounds to develop and is a normal target well into the school years.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all ten cards play with no login.
- Why are 'three' and 'thread' harder?
- Because the /th/ is followed by an /r/. The tongue has to move from between the teeth to a completely different position very quickly, which is a different motor task from a simple /th/ before a vowel.