How to pronounce Quick TH (the, this, that) ð in American English

Q: Why don't Americans stick their tongue out for the TH in "the"?

Because pushing the tongue between the teeth on every the , this , that takes too much time and motion. The behind-the-teeth touch produces the same voiced buzz (the air vibrates against the back of the upper teeth instead of the bottom edge) but keeps the tongue inside the mouth, so it can link directly into the next word's first sound. Same sound to the listener, half the work for your mouth.

Tongue tip presses behind teeth instead of coming through (easier articulation).

Start here

Quick TH is how Americans actually say the, this, that, them in casual speech. Instead of pushing the tongue tip between the teeth like textbooks teach, you press it just behind the top front teeth. It keeps the same buzzing voiced quality but takes a lot less physical effort. Your tongue stays inside your mouth and can flow directly into the next sound. One caveat: voiceless TH (think, three, thanks) still needs the tongue tip between the teeth — the shortcut is voiced-TH-only, and blurring the line turns think into tink.

How it triggers

Watch it happen in real words.

Three example words showing exactly when this rule fires.

the

The most common word in English — and the one that makes the shortcut most obvious. The tongue tip taps the back of the upper teeth and flows straight into the next word. Say the dog slowly and feel how the tongue never comes out. Say it at full speed and there's no gap at all between the and dog.

this / that / these / those

Demonstratives. All start with voiced /ð/ and all get the shortcut in casual speech. That's the version you hear most: the tongue hits the back of the teeth, the vowel is often reduced, and the word blurs into whatever follows it. In slow, careful speech you might push the tongue through. In a real sentence you never do.

them / they / their / there / then / though

The rest of the voiced-TH grammar-word family. All short, all unstressed, all use the behind-the-teeth shortcut. The key: every word here is a function word — it carries grammar, not meaning. Function words are the ones English lets you blur. Voiceless TH content words (think, three, thick) don't get this treatment — their TH still needs the tongue between the teeth.

Where you'll hear it

In real American conversation.

The shortcut shows up on every high-frequency grammar word starting with voiced TH: the, this, that, these, those, them, they, their, there, then, though. You'll catch it in conversations, podcasts, news anchors, sitcoms: Americans rarely actually stick the tongue out for these. It saves time and keeps the airflow connecting to the next word.

Underlying sounds

The sound at the center of this rule.

Click to explore the voiced TH (/ð/) in depth — how it's made, where it lives, and how it contrasts with voiceless TH.

/ð/

/ð/ as in THIS

The voiced-TH grammar words

8 words where the TH shortcut lives.

Every one of these starts with voiced /ð/ — the buzzing TH in the, never the breathy TH in think. These are the words where Americans use the behind-the-teeth shortcut.

Tapping a chip plays the word in its citation form. The shortcut is a subtle articulation shift — the easiest way to hear it fire is in the sentences below, where the word sits in a real sentence at natural speed.

Hear it in sentences

Five sentences where the TH shortcut fires.

Listen for voiced TH on the, there, this, they, their — the tongue stays behind the teeth and the word flows straight into the next.

Could you close the curtain, please?

kuud yuh KLOHZ dhuh KUR·tuhn PLEEZ?

Don't forget to lock the door.

DOHNT fer·GEHT tuh LAHK dhuh DOR.

I thought you were bringing the dessert.

ahy THAHT yoo wer BRIHNG·uhng dhuh duh·ZURT.

I heard there is a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.

ahy HURD DHAIR ihz uh CHANS uhv THUHN·der·stormz dhihs af·ter·NOON.

FAQ

Common questions about the voiced TH shortcut.

Why don't Americans stick their tongue out for the TH in "the"?

Because pushing the tongue between the teeth on every the, this, that takes too much time and motion. The behind-the-teeth touch produces the same voiced buzz (the air vibrates against the back of the upper teeth instead of the bottom edge) but keeps the tongue inside the mouth, so it can link directly into the next word's first sound. Same sound to the listener, half the work for your mouth.

Does Quick TH apply to voiceless TH words like "think" or "three"?

No. Strictly for voiced TH on small grammar words. Voiceless TH in think, thanks, three, thought still needs the tongue tip slightly between the teeth and air blowing through. Use the behind-the-teeth shortcut on think and muscle memory often takes over, turning it into a 't' or 's' (tink or sink), which causes real comprehension problems. Keep the tongue slightly between the teeth on voiceless TH and you have a physical anchor that holds the airflow in place.

Is it wrong to pronounce the TH in words like "the" and "that" fully between the teeth?

Not wrong, just exhausting. Textbooks teach the between-the-teeth TH because it's visually easy to demonstrate, but doing it on every the and that in casual speech is physical work no native speaker does. The behind-the-teeth shortcut is what listeners expect by default. Save the full tongue-out version for voiceless TH (think, three) where the contrast actually matters.