How to Say TH
Grown-up and child: read this together. Practice in front of a mirror.
Need more than one? Tap + for extra copies (up to 10).
How to do it
- Read the steps together in front of a mirror.
- Practice the sound alone, then in syllables.
- Color a star on the ladder at each level you master.
Teaching tip
Let the tongue tip peek out, then blow gently, like cooling soup: thhhh.
About this worksheet
A cue card with a mouth picture, three simple steps, syllables to practice, and a practice ladder from the sound alone to talking.
What kids practice
Articulation means making speech sounds clearly. For the TH sound, the tongue tip rests gently between the teeth and air flows out over it. TH can be quiet (thumb, bath) or have the voice on (this, feather). TH is one of the last sounds many children learn, so some kids are still working on it in 3rd grade. A child who is practicing TH often says f, t or d instead (fumb for thumb, tink for think, dis for this). These sheets climb the same ladder speech therapists use: the sound alone, then syllables, words, phrases, sentences, reading and everyday talking. Common Core doesn't cover speech sounds, so these sheets have no Common Core code.
Watch for
- Saying f for th. Check in the mirror that the tongue, not the lip, touches the top teeth.
- Popping the sound like t or d. Keep the tongue there and let the air flow slowly.
- Moving up too fast. If TH slips in sentences, practice phrases for a few more days.
- If your child is hard to understand, frustrated when talking, or not improving, ask a speech-language pathologist for an evaluation.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full articulation: the TH sound guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. All My TH WordsEvery TH practice word on one page, sorted by where the sound is: start, middle or end. 
3. TH Cards: Start of WordsEight picture cards with TH at the start of the word. The sheet is the same every time, so two copies make matching pairs. One blank card is left for your child to draw their own TH word.
4. TH Cards: Middle of WordsSix picture cards with TH in the middle of the word. Three blank cards are left for your child to draw their own TH word.
5. TH Cards: End of WordsNine picture cards with TH at the end of the word.
6. TH PhrasesNine short phrases with TH words in blue, each with a picture.
7. TH SentencesEight real-life sentences with the TH words in blue.
8. TH BingoTwo picture bingo boards packed with TH words.
9. TH Board GameA board game with TH words and star squares that add extra practice.
10. TH Roll and SaySix TH pictures, one for each side of a die, with circles to color each time you say the word. Fewer has 3 circles each and More adds a second round of 6 pictures.
11. TH Spin and SayA paper clip spinner with TH pictures and a box row for each word. Fewer, Standard or More give 6, 8 or 10 pictures.
12. TH Practice TrackerA ten-day tracker to record ten tries a day and the practice level.
13. TH Read-Aloud StoryOne of ten short stories packed with TH words in blue, with a 3-read score. Every word with the sound is blue, so the stories give lots of practice.
14. TH: Talk About ItSix real conversation questions, each with TH words to try in the answer.