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Welcome to your English Toolbox where we buildyour confidence, one sound at a time.
I'm Julia.
And I'm Martin.
Julia, what are we going to talk about today?
Today we are entering the gym to train the mostfamous
and perhaps the most hated sound in the Englishlanguage.
Oh, I know exactly which one.
We are talking about the TH sound.
Martin, this sound is a nightmare for so many ofus.
It creates so much hesitation, doesn't it?
Absolutely. I remember once ordering threecoffees,
but I was so nervous it sounded like free coffees.
The waiter looked very confused.
That is the classic trap.
If you master this sound, you stop sounding like abeginner
and start sounding like a pro.
So, if you stay with us until the end,
you will learn the two variations of this sound.
You will practice them with us in real time.
And you will learn why your own brain tries tostop you from making this sound.
Part 2. The Invisible Barrier
Let's be honest, Julia.
Who is the victim of this sound?
Almost everyone, Martin.
Exactly. If you are a German speaker,
you probably turn this sound into an S.
You might say I am sinking instead of I amthinking.
If you speak French, you might turn it into a Z.
And if you speak Russian, Lithuanian, orPortuguese or Japanese,
you might turn it into a T or even an F.
Why is it so hard for everyone?
Because it feels physically weird.
To make this sound, you have to stick your tongueout between your teeth.
It feels rude. It feels like I am lisping.
That is the mental barrier.
03:02
Your brain screams, don't do it, you look silly.
But today, we are going to ignore your brain andtrain your tongue.
Part 3. The Anchor
We need an anchor. We need a simple concept tohold on to.
The TH actually has two personalities.
Two?
Yes.
First, there is the unvoiced TH.
Think of this as simply the air.
Put your tongue between your teeth and just blowair.
Shh. Like a snake?
Exactly. No voice. Just air.
Think, thank, three.
Okay, I can feel the air on my hand.
Good.
The second personality is the voiced TH.
This is the buzzing B.
Same position, tongue between teeth, but now, turnon your throat.
Zzzz. That tickles.
It should tickle.
If your tongue doesn't vibrate, you aren't doingit right.
This, that, other.
Okay, so we have the air and the vibration.
Quick reminder.
If you want to see the full list of words we arepracticing today, check our Patreon.
There you can find the transcripts, the vocabularylists and the practice guides for every episode.
We also have cheat sheets that group thesepronunciation patterns for you.
It is a great way to support the show and speed upyour learning.
Check the link in the description.
Now, how do we know which one to use?
English spelling is tricky, but there is a patternhack.
We can group these words into families.
Tell me about the first family.
Family A is the function family.
These are the small grammar words that holdsentences together.
The, this, that, these, those, them, they.
I use these words in every single sentence.
Exactly, and almost all of them use the vibrationsound.
The voiced TH.
So when I see a small grammar word starting withTH, I should vibrate?
06:01
Yes.
This, this, this, that, that, that, they, they,they.
Okay.
What is the second family?
Family B is the thinking family.
Verbs like think, thank, throw, and numbers likethree, thirty.
These usually use the air sound, no vibration.
Think, think, think.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Three, three, three.
Perfect.
Part five, the gym.
Now, let's go to the gym.
We are going to play ping pong.
I say the word.
You have two seconds to repeat it, and then Juliawill repeat it to confirm.
Are you ready?
Stick your tongue out.
Don't be shy.
Let's start with the vibration family.
This, this, that, that, other, other, brother,brother, mother, mother, father.
Support comes from WISE, the smart way to sendmoney around the world.
Your life is global.
Your money should be too.
Some providers promise no fees on overseastransfers, but extra costs often hide in bloated
exchange rates.
Choose WISE.
You can send money overseas for education or spendin over 40 currencies while traveling.
Get the exchange rate that you'd usually see onGoogle.
Plus, count on 24-7 customer support.
Be smart.
Get WISE.
Visit WISE.com.
T's and C's apply.
Weather
Together
Those
Good vibration.
Now, switch to the air family.
Just blow.
Think
09:00
Three
Author
Healthy
Month
Mouth
Mouth.
Birthday.
Thursday.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Good.
Now Level Two.
We glue them together.
Don't separate the sounds, this and that.
This and that.
My mother's brother.
My mother's brother.
3,000 things.
3,000 things.
Excellent!
Now, Level 3, the Shadowing Challenge.
I will set the scene.
Imagine you are telling a friend about a familysecret.
I will say the sentence at natural speed,
then Julia will say it slowly.
You repeat in the silence.
And then I say it one last time.
I think my brother knows the truth.
I think my brother knows the truth.
I think my brother knows the truth.
Did you feel the vibration on brother and the airon truth?
Before we finish, I have to warn you.
There is a trap.
There is always a trap in English.
Sometimes you will see a TH, but it is a disguise.
It is actually just a T.
Like the name Thomas?
Exactly.
We don't say Th-oh-mahs?
We say Thomas.
Or the country, Thailand.
Or the river in London, the Thames.
So, if it's a name or a place, I should becareful.
Yes, but for 99% of normal words, trust thepattern.
Vibrate for grammar words.
Blow air for content words.
12:01
So, Julia, how does your mouth feel?
It feels like I've been to the gym.
My tongue is tired.
That is good.
That means you are building the muscle.
Remember, friends, sticking your tongue out is notrude in English.
It is necessary.
You are not lisping.
You are speaking clearly.
If you enjoyed this episode, please write a smallcomment before you go.
Tell us, which word is the hardest for you?
Is it three?
Is it clothes?
Is it month?
We read every single comment.
And we might use your suggestion for the nextepisode.
Do you want to be part of our Slow Englishcommunity?
We need your comments because your voice is moreimportant than ours.
Your voice and comments will show us the rightpath.
Thank you for listening.
See you in the next workout.
Bye-bye.
