Advanced TH pronunciation + Connected Speech! - EPIC ENGLISH LESSON!

huh how can you make your pronunciation of the TH sounds perfect

while also improving your British English pronunciation?

By watching this lesson ;)

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First of all the mouth shape

how should your mouth be when you pronounce TH sounds?

the quick explanation is this

here are your teeth

here's the tongue

that's resting on your bottom teeth

There should be easy airflow between the tongue and the top teeth

sounds like this...

or you can watch this video

for a full and complete tutorial of how to do the TH sound

If you can make that sound then you're good, let's go more advanced!!

it gets more advanced when we mix the TH sound

with other sounds in words

When they go together it can be super difficult

so I'm going to show you the super easy way to pronounce it all properly

Okay let's start easy

When one word finishes with a TH sound

and the next word begins with the TH sound

For example: "with the"

"WITH" ends in a TH sound

"THE" begins with the TH sound

This word finishes with your mouth all ready to pronounce the next word

"with the" it flows nicely

practice with me

now you're not just going to say "with the"

that's not a sentence that doesn't make sense

so let's use some example sentences that you will use in daily conversation

I agree with that

"with that" "with" ends in TH

"that" begins with TH

So again it's one singular TH sound that links them together

"I agree with that" This is an interesting sentence

"I agree" we link that with a /j/ sound

Say it with me. Practice!

Repeat with me. Practice! That's how you improve!

your turn

okay let's go more advanced

Next one: When a TH sound comes after a T sound

Now you could pronounce the words separately for example:

No one speaks like that so how do we make it sound natural?

Easy! We glottalise the /T/

If you don't remember what a glottal T is

watch this video here

remember it's fine to glottalise the T at the end of words

sounds much easier much better

say it with me

For this, what's happening inside the mouth?

Well my throat is closing to get that glottal sound for the /T/

Then my mouth goes into position to pronounce TH

Try it with me until you're perfect

Where is he?

At the pub

it flows better it's easier and it sounds more natural

Let's make that /t/ glottal

say it with me

Okay, which sentences could you use this in regular conversation to practice everyday?

Ah! okay!

Also notice "ME AT" will link that together again with a /j/ sound

Try it all together, first slow

you

faster

Maybe you have a /p/ sound to end a word

followed by TH sounds

For example: "up the" so it's similar to a glottal stop

All the sound in the airway stops on the P

Repeat with me

An example sentence:

Where should I go?

Go up the street

that sentence is interesting too

because we also use connected speech

we link "go" and "up" with a /w/ sound

Now usually if you said "up" you have that sound after

but when you have "up the"

you don't have that little sound in the middle

No "upAH the"

okay what about a K then a TH?

When are you back?

I'm back Thursday

"I'm bacKUHH Thursday" No!

we take the KHHHH!! out of in KHHH!!

In "back"

again the sound stops in the throat

and then you immediately go into the TH sound

Slowly

More natural

Okay, did you see what I did?

I stopped at a glottal stop here

it's not "thAT"

I made the /æ/ into a schwa /ə/ sound

and the /t/ a glottal sound /ʔ/

I think that with the Papa Teach Me videos my pronunciation is gonna be perfect

MORE ADVANCED!

When a word ends with /n/ and the next word begins with TH

For example

if you're one of those people who pronounces this as...

with a hard sound instead of...

A soft sound I'm going to show you how to fix that right now

So you can pronounce it properly

Watch my mouth particularly my tongue

That's such a weird thing to ask, I know

Just trust me

My tongue is in a different place for both of those sounds

The /n/ my tongue is behind the teeth

My tongue is either between or just slightly in front of my teeth

so when I put "on the" together

instead of putting my tongue behind my teeth for the /n/

I bring it to the "TH" position for the

watch

You try it

it's the same of course with...

Don't put your tongue behind the teeth

That is what makes you do the hard "duh" sound, you don't want that

You don't want to pronounce it like that

Ok so common sentences:

Say these with me. Practice!

Where are you?

I'm on the way

Say it with me

Ok are you on the bus?

No I'm in the car

Say them again fast

Next one

Did you remember the tongue position?

if not do it again

other common examples

this expression is a great one to use

and notice the connected speech

We connect "the other" with a /j/ sound

Say it

Try this one

I need to pee, but someone's in the toilet

Someone's always in the toilet

Okay let's get more advanced!

L then TH sounds for example words like

many people find this difficult to pronounce

but it's easy because again the tongue is already in a good position

to go straight into the TH sound

It just comes forward a little bit

although another common sentence you might use with this is...

I made that last T glottal because it sounds more natural to do that

so try with me slowly first

Now faster

MORE ADVANCED!!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!

f then TH

Okay now you could cheat

If you have a word like "of the"

For example "best of the best"

you might find it difficult going from /v/ to /ð/

So what we commonly do is we drop that F

and we just have /ə/, a schwa sound

You try it

Aly is...

Other common sentences you might use

Just know you have two schwa sounds here

You say it. Practice. Try it.

"How many things do you have to do today?"

"Are you at work today?"

"No I'm out of the office today"

"Sorry this is a bad time of the month for me"

So that is very common in fast speech we just dropped that last F make it a schwa sound

However you might be thinking are okay even with words like "off"?

With 2 Fs?

Unfortunately not, no

If you have "off the" for example

No you would have to pronounce that F

So again it might just take practice but practice with me

Practice changing your mouth shape from /f/ to /ð/

Whole sentence

Okay what about S + TH?

That sounds difficult!

It's not difficult, I'll show you how to do it perfectly

The easy way: Drop the TH sound altogether, for example:

Notice I removed the TH sound

Again in fast speech this is very common

another very common question you might ask:

well again we can remove the TH

So again I've removed that TH and I glottalised that final T

Say it with me

I'm sure you were perfect

other very common questions:

Again remove the TH

Say it with me

Your turn. Practice!

Easy way...

I'm using 2 glottal T's

Again, again, again!

Fast speech this is acceptable

but if you're talking slowly it doesn't sound good

So if you talk slowly try to make an effort

Practice saying them correctly so practice them with me

This time the slow way

Just "Is this"

Whole sentence...

Your turn. Practice!

So if you're still not perfect don't worry, watch it again

Practice practice practice until you're perfect

also try to come up with your own sentences to practice with

Think of common daily expressions that you actually use

that use some of these combinations

write them in the comments so other people can practice as well

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See you in the next class! Bye!