How to pronounce them in American English

IPA /ðəm/ Syllables 1 · dhuhm

dhuhm

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Americans pronounce them as dhuhm (/ðəm/).

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Why it sounds different

Why "them" sounds like dhuhm.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, a connected-speech trick that makes phrases flow. It comes out as dhuhm.

In real conversation

Hear "them" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"Both of them are healthy and strong."

BOHTH uhv dhuhm er HEHL·thee and STRAHNG

"Can we get together with them later?"

kuhn wee GEHT tuh·GEH·dher wihth dhuhm LAY·der

"Did you get all of them?"

dihd yuh GEHT AHL uhv uhm

"He recorded the lectures to listen to them again later."

hee ruh·KOR·duhd dhuh LEHK·cherz tuh LIH·suhn tuh dhuhm uh·GEHN LAY·der

"I enjoy writing short stories and sharing them online."

ahy uhn·JOY RAHY·duhng SHORT STOR·eez and SHAIR·uhng dhuhm AHN·lahyn

"I have to drive twelve hours to visit them."

ahy hav tuh DRAHYV TWEHLV OW·erz tuh VIH·zuht dhuhm

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

DHUHM→dhuhm

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "them" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "dhuhm" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Why "them" sounds like dhuhm.

Hear "them" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

Stop reading about "them". Start saying it.