How do you make the unvoiced TH?

Rest the tongue tip lightly against or just behind the top front teeth and blow air gently over it with the voice off. The tongue should be visible, not tucked away.

What age should a child say TH?

TH is one of the last sounds to develop and may not be accurate until age 6 or later. Substituting F, as in fum for thumb, is common in younger children.

What are some easy unvoiced TH words for kids?

Thumb, thick, teeth, and bath are short and picturable. Filter to initial TH to find more starting words.

Word Lists

Unvoiced TH Words

A searchable list of quiet TH words, filterable by position, syllables, and word type.

All unvoiced TH words How to make it FAQ

This is the quiet TH, the one in think, thumb, and bath. No buzz in the throat, just air flowing over the tongue tip at the front teeth. The buzzy TH in this and mother is a separate sound with its own list.

All unvoiced TH words (184)

Search the full list, or filter by position (initial, medial, final), word type, and syllable count. Every word is grouped by sound, not spelling.

initial: 49
medial: 89
final: 46

Position

Word type

Syllables

184 results of 184 unvoiced TH words

Initial unvoiced TH (49)

thumbthighthorntheaterthongthymethiefthickthirdthintherapistthunderstormthermostatthunderthyroidthermometerthankthesaurusthumbnailthistlethoraxthirtythawthunderboltthumpthesisthirstythornythunderbirdthirteenthicketthemetheftthousandthanksgivingthermalthatchthudtherapytheologianthoroughfarethickenthirstthoroughbredthinnerthunderousthinkertheoristthermonuclear

Medial unvoiced TH (89)

cathedralpythonpantherauthortoothbrushbathtubathleteethanoltoothpickmouthpiecestethoscopepathwaycathetermethaneetherearthquakemarathonmouthwashprostheticethyllithiumchemotherapysoutheastnortheastparenthesismathematiciannortheasterntoothlessmethadonehealthyamethystpathologistprosthesisbirthdayamphitheatermouthfulparenthesesfilthysoutheasterndeathbedpolyethyleneanthemsouthwestbreathlessmentholanestheticcatholicfrothysynthesizerpathogenlengthybirthplacesouthwesternpathfindersyntheticlethalapothecarylengthenanesthesiawealthyleviathanhypothermiasouthboundathleticatheistsouthwardyouthfulmathematicalphotosynthesisunhealthyanthologydiphtheriastrengthenenthusiasticeuthanasiafurthestwithholdearthenarithmeticauthorshipophthalmologylethargicbiosynthesisgeothermalmonolithicorthopediclethargyneuropathypsychopathic

Final unvoiced TH (46)

earthteethmouthbathtoothclothbirthpathsouthboothmothdeathslothbrothbreathwreathbothgoldsmithfootpathtableclothyouthsheathfrothblacksmithlocksmithmathmammothchildbirthunderneathscythetwentiethgirthgrowthoathbeneathpsychopathundergrowthoutgrowthgoliathmirthsabbathbehemothunearthzenithsleuthfiftieth

Sound /θ/

How to make the unvoiced TH sound

For the unvoiced TH, the tongue tip lightly touches or sits just behind the top front teeth while air flows over it, with the voice off. It is the TH in think and bath, not the one in this. TH is one of the later sounds to develop, often not mastered until age 6 or later, and substituting F is common along the way.

Developmental ages from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Keep going

Voiced TH Words

Minimal pairs worksheets

CVC word lists

All speech-sound word lists

unvoiced TH sound questions

One is voiceless and one is voiced. Think, thumb, and bath use the quiet one. This, mother, and breathe use the buzzy one. Put a hand on the throat and only the second one vibrates.