/θ/ and /ð/ · typically mastered by age 5-7

TH Sound Games

Games, word lists, and practice guidance for the TH sound — everything on this page is built around th sound practice specifically.

TH is two sounds wearing one spelling — the voiceless one in "think" and the voiced one in "this" — and it is both late-developing and highly visible. That visibility is an advantage: a child can watch the tongue between the teeth in a mirror and copy it, so practice volume converts into progress relatively directly.

Games for articulation practice

An honest note first: our arcade-style games are not filtered by target sound — they build articulation and speech clarity generally rather than drilling TH specifically. The sound-specific targeting lives in the practice tools, where you choose the sound and position, and in the TH word lists further down this page.

Speech Cats game screenshotFree
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Speech Cats

Ages 4–10

Adventures with Milo and Boots — two cool cats who make speech practice something kids actually ask for.

Targets

ArticulationSpeech Sound PracticeSpeech Clarity

Where TH targeting actually happens

Inside an account, the pronunciation practice and flashcard activities draw from a word bank of 9,400+ words across 23 sounds, and you pick the sound and the position in the word. That is the part of the platform that practises TH as TH — the games above are what keep a child doing it for long enough to matter.

TH practice words

Real practice words, grouped by where the TH sound falls in the word. Most therapy starts at the beginning of a word and moves on once that is reliable.

TH at the beginning

Words that start with TH.

thinkthingthickthinthreethrowthumbthunderthethat

TH in the middle

Words with TH in the middle.

bathingbirthdaybrotherclothingfeatherfathergatherleathermathmother

TH at the end

Words with TH at the end.

bathbothbreathclothearthmathmonthmouthnorthpath
All TH word listsThe TH sound guide

What to listen for

F and D are the usual stand-ins — "free" for "three", "dis" for "this". Watch for the tongue actually appearing between the teeth; children frequently produce a close-enough sound with the tongue behind the teeth that passes casual listening but is not the target.

Common TH errors

  • Substituting /F/ for voiceless /TH/ (e.g., "fink" for "think")
  • Substituting /D/ for voiced /TH/ (e.g., "dis" for "this")
  • Substituting /V/ for voiced /TH/ (e.g., "vat" for "that")
  • Substituting /T/ for voiceless /TH/ (e.g., "tink" for "think")
  • Not sticking the tongue out far enough between the teeth

How to run TH practice

Short and frequent beats long and occasional. Five to ten minutes on most days produces more correct TH productions over a fortnight than one long weekend session, and it is far easier to sustain.

Work in one position at a time. Get TH reliable at the beginning of words before moving to the middle and at the end — mixing all three from the start usually slows everything down.

Keep correction light. Model the word correctly and move on rather than asking for a repeat every time; a child who feels tested talks less, and less talking is the opposite of what TH practice needs.

Tips for the TH sound

  • Show your child how to stick their tongue tip out between their teeth using a mirror. They should be able to see the tongue tip.
  • Use the cue "bite your tongue gently" — have your child place their tongue between their teeth and gently bite down before blowing air.
  • Practice the difference between /TH/ and /F/ by comparing tongue placement: tongue between teeth for /TH/, teeth on lower lip for /F/.
  • For the voiced /TH/, have your child place a hand on their throat to feel the vibration, distinguishing it from the voiceless version.
  • Start with the voiceless /TH/ ("think") as it is typically easier, then move to the voiced /TH/ ("the").
  • Use a feather or tissue in front of the mouth — the airflow for /TH/ should make it flutter gently.
  • Read books together and have your child practice /TH/ words as they appear naturally in the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there free games for practising the TH sound?
Yes. Every game on this site is free to play with a free account, and the TH word lists and sound guide are free to read without one. What the games do not do is filter by target sound — for that, the practice tools inside an account let you pick TH and the position in the word.
At what age should a child master the TH sound?
Most children master the voiceless /TH/ (as in "think") by age 5-7 and the voiced /TH/ (as in "this") by age 5-7 as well. It is common for children to substitute /F/ or /D/ for /TH/ during early development. If your child is past that range and the sound has not settled, it is worth asking a speech-language pathologist rather than waiting longer.
What are the most common TH errors?
Substituting /F/ for voiceless /TH/ (e.g., "fink" for "think") Substituting /D/ for voiced /TH/ (e.g., "dis" for "this") Substituting /V/ for voiced /TH/ (e.g., "vat" for "that") Our TH sound guide covers each of these in more detail.
Which TH words should we start with?
Start at the beginning of words — think, thing, thick, thin, three — and only move to the middle and at the end once the first position is reliable. The full lists are on our TH word lists page.
How long does it take to fix a TH sound?
It varies far more than most families expect, and depends on the child's age, how established the error is, and how much correct practice happens between sessions. The one factor you control is the volume of correct repetitions per week, which is why practice at home moves the timeline more than anything else.

Keep Exploring

TH sound guide

How the TH sound is made, and how it develops.

TH word lists

Full TH word lists by position.

TH at the start of words

Practice words with TH in the initial position.

F sound games

Often practised alongside TH.

V sound games

Often practised alongside TH.

S sound games

Often practised alongside TH.

All speech sound games

Every sound with a games page.

Start Practising the TH Sound

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