How to pronounce things in American English

IPA /θɪŋz/ Syllables 1 · thihngz Stress 1st syllable

THIHNGZ

Start here

Americans pronounce things as THIHNGZ (/θɪŋz/). You'll hear it in sentences like "Think of three things" or "Gather all your things together" — more examples below.

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "things" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are

Tap the mic to start

Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Unlock the full report in the app

Sound by sound

Every sound in "things".

1 syllable, 4 sounds. Explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.

th/θ/

Place the very tip of your tongue slightly between your teeth. Blow air gently around it without voicing.

ih/ɪ/

Drop your jaw slightly with relaxed lips. Touch the tongue tip behind the bottom front teeth and arch the top-front toward the roof.

ng/ŋ/

Lift the back of your tongue to the soft palate. Lower your soft palate to let air flow through your nose.

z/z/

Same position as S, but add vocal cord vibration. Feel the buzz.

In real conversation

Hear "things" in the wild.

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

"DNA contains the genetic instructions for the development of all living things."

dee·ehn·AY kuhn·TAYNZ dhuh juh·NEH·duhk uhn·STRUHK·shuhnz fer dhuh duh·VEH·luhp·muhnt uhv AHL LIH·vuhng THIHNGZ

"Gather all your things together."

GA·dher AHL yer THIHNGZ tuh·GEH·dher

"He has a certain way of explaining things."

hee huhz uh SUR·tuhn WAY uhv uhk·SPLAY·nuhng THIHNGZ

"I am cautiously hopeful that things will improve very soon."

ahy uhm KAH·shuh·slee HOHP·fuhl dhuht THIHNGZ wihl uhm·PROOV VEH·ree SOON

"I appreciate you giving me another chance to make things right."

ahy uh·PREE·shee·ayt yoo GIH·vuhng mee uh·NUH·dher CHANS tuh MAYK THIHNGZ RAHYT

"I appreciate your input, though I see things somewhat differently."

ahy uh·PREE·shee·ayt yer IHN·puut dhoh ahy SEE THIHNGZ SUHM·wuht DIH·fruhnt·lee

Find another

Looking for a different word or sentence?

Search the entire library

Press / anywhere to focus the search box.

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "things" 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 "THIHNGZ" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.