Open any early reader and count the th words on the first page. The, this, that, they, then, there. It’s hard to get through a sentence without one, yet it takes children longer to say than most sounds they’ve met.
In Jolly Phonics, th comes in group 6 alongside y, x, ch and sh, and the two th sounds are taught together at the end of that group. The same two letters spell both, so your child learns one spelling with two sounds. This page is about the voiced one, as in this. I’ll only mention the unvoiced one (thumb) to show the difference. Just before it comes sh, which has its own page.
The hand-on-throat test
Put a hand flat on your throat and say thumb. You’ll feel air and no vibration. Now say this. There’s a buzz under your fingers. That buzz is your voice, and it’s the only difference between the two sounds. The tongue sits in the same place for both: the tip rests lightly between the teeth and the air slips out over it.
Let your child put a hand on your throat first, then on her own. Say thumb, this, thumb, this until she can tell which one buzzes with her eyes shut.
The action: a rude clown
The Jolly Phonics action is a rude clown. Stick your tongue out a little and say the sound. For the voiced th, keep it small, just the tip showing. For the unvoiced th you’d stick it out a bit more.
Have your child write it in the air, t first, then h, while she says the sound.
Where children go wrong
Here’s what you’re likely to hear, and what to do about it.
- dis and dat: the tongue is staying behind the teeth and tapping, so it comes out as /d/. Use a mirror and ask to see her tongue.
- muvver for mother: the bottom lip is coming up to the top teeth, which makes /v/. Hold a finger under her lip to keep it down.
- A hissy zis: tongue behind the teeth, so it comes out as /z/. Same fix, tongue forward where you can see it.
- No buzz, so it sounds like the thumb sound. Go back to the hand on the throat.
When she says dat for that, don’t correct the word. Say that back slowly, tongue showing, and let her copy you.
Word lists to read together
Don’t teach these as one long list. Start with the small words, because she’ll meet them on every page.
Small words that begin with th
- this, that, then, them, than
- the, they, there, these, those
The is usually said quickly, with a lazy little vowel, so treat it as a word to know on sight. Save the careful sounding-out for this, that and them.
th in the middle
- mother, father, brother
- feather, weather, together, other, another
Start with the family words. Children say them daily, so reading them feels like a win.
th at the end
- with, smooth, breathe, bathe
With is voiced for many speakers and unvoiced for others, so say it your own way. Breathe and bathe end in a silent e, so keep them for later.
Three short activities
Buzz or no buzz
Write this and thumb on two cards. Say a word and have her hold up the card it sounds like, hand on her throat to check.
Build mother
Lay out cards for m, o, th, e, r, like the ones below, and ask her to read the word. The th is one pink tile, so she sees it’s two letters working as one.
Sentence hunt
Write one sentence, such as Then they put them there, and let her circle every th. Most of the words have one, and she’ll see for herself how often the sound turns up.
The worksheet
One page: a big th to trace with arrows, a picture with the word these, and three lines of th to copy. It’s a tracing sheet, not a word list, so use it after the buzz test.
The Phase 3 flashcards include th, and the PDF below has them all. For the order of sounds, see our complete Jolly Phonics guide. If she keeps saying /d/, our d sound page may help.
Questions parents ask
Is the th in this the same as the th in thumb?
No. The letters are the same, but this one has your voice switched on. Put a hand on your throat: you’ll feel a buzz for this and none for thumb.
Why does my child say dis and dat?
The tongue is staying behind the teeth, so it comes out as /d/. Show her how to put the tip between her teeth and let her copy you in a mirror.
Should I teach the voiced th or the unvoiced th first?
Jolly Phonics teaches them together at the end of group 6. Whichever you start with, this, that, the and they will turn up in her reading straight away.
