The “th” sound can be heard in words such as think, thumb, this and tooth. Like other speech sounds, children learn to use “th” as their speech develops.
You may notice your child uses another sound in its place. For example, they might say “fink” instead of “think” or “dis” instead of “this”. Whether this is something that needs support will depend on your child’s age, overall speech development and the types of speech-sound differences they are showing.
If your child is already working with a Speech Pathologist on “th”, practising at home can provide extra opportunities to use what they are learning in therapy.
The TH sound speech therapy activities below include TH sound words, games, picture activities, sentence practice and ideas for incorporating practice into everyday play.
- When Do Children Learn the TH Sound?
- Before Practising the TH Sound at Home
- How to Say the TH Sound
- What If My Child Uses Another Sound Instead of TH?
- 1. Practising the TH Sound
- 2. Practising TH Sound Words
- 3. Listen for the TH Sound
- 4. Use TH Sound Pictures or Worksheets
- 5. Go on a TH Sound Treasure Hunt
- 6. Play a TH Sound Game
- 7. Practise TH in Short Phrases
- 8. Try TH Sound Sentences
- 9. Find TH Words in Books
- 10. Use TH Words During Everyday Routines
- Practising TH in Conversation
- How Often Should We Practise the TH Sound?
- What If My Child Can Say TH Sometimes but Not Always?
- When Should I Speak With a Speech Pathologist?
- Supporting TH Sound Practice at Home
When Do Children Learn the TH Sound?
Children don’t learn all speech sounds at the same time. “Th” is one of the sounds that can continue developing as children get older.
This means that having difficulty saying “th” doesn’t automatically mean a child needs speech therapy.
Our Articulation Development: When Do Children Learn Different Speech Sounds? guide explains more about how children’s speech sounds develop and when it may be useful to speak with a Speech Pathologist.
A pediatric Speech Pathologist can consider your child’s age, the sounds and patterns they’re using and how understandable their speech is in everyday communication.
Before Practising the TH Sound at Home
Parents often search for how to teach the TH sound, but the most appropriate way to practise will depend on how your child is currently producing the sound and their individual speech goals.
If your child is already seeing a Speech Pathologist, it’s best to practise the sounds, words and strategies they have recommended.
Children can have difficulty with the same sound in different ways. This means an activity or cue that helps one child may not be appropriate for another.
Our Articulation Speech Therapy Activities: What Parents Should Know guide explains more about how articulation practice works and why speech-sound activities are usually selected for the individual child.
How to Say the TH Sound
You may have noticed that “th” doesn’t always sound the same.
Compare:
think and thumb
with:
this and that.
There are two different “th” sounds in English. One is produced without the voice, as in think, while the other uses the voice, as in this.
Both are made with the tongue positioned towards the front of the mouth, near or between the teeth, while air moves through.
If your child is learning how to say the TH sound, their Speech Pathologist may use particular cues or demonstrations to help.
Use the cues recommended for your child rather than repeatedly correcting their tongue position or introducing lots of different instructions at home.
What If My Child Uses Another Sound Instead of TH?
Children may sometimes use another sound where adults would use “th”.
For example, you might hear:
“fink” instead of “think”
“dis” instead of “this”
“tumb” instead of “thumb”
A Speech Pathologist will look at patterns like these across your child’s speech rather than judging one word in isolation.
They can consider whether the pattern is expected for your child’s age and overall speech development and whether support is needed.
1. Practising the TH Sound
If your Speech Pathologist has recommended practising “th” on its own, use the cue or strategy they’ve shown you.
Some children may be working on the TH sound in think, while others may be practising the TH sound in this. Knowing which sound your child is working on is important when choosing practice words.
Keep practice at the level recommended by your child’s Speech Pathologist before moving into words, phrases or sentences.
2. Practising TH Sound Words
The “th” sound can appear at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of words.
Your child’s Speech Pathologist may choose particular TH sound words depending on the sound they’re targeting and their current therapy goals.
TH Sound Words at the Beginning
Examples include:
- think
- thin
- thumb
- three
- Thursday
- thunder
- this
- that
- these
- those.
Words With TH Sound in the Middle
Some words with the TH sound in the middle include:
- birthday
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- something
- healthy
- feather
- weather
- brother
- mother
- together.
TH Sound Words at the End
Examples include:
- bath
- path
- mouth
- tooth
- teeth
- both
- with
- smooth.
You don’t need to practise every word on these lists.
If your child has been given particular practice words by their Speech Pathologist, use those rather than choosing words simply because they contain “th”.
3. Listen for the TH Sound
Some children may work on listening for differences between speech sounds as part of their therapy.
If your Speech Pathologist has recommended this, you could say two words and ask your child what they heard.
For example:
thin / fin
think / sink
thank / tank
then / den
This type of activity won’t be necessary for every child, so use the sound contrasts recommended by your child’s Speech Pathologist.
4. Use TH Sound Pictures or Worksheets
Pictures can provide a simple way to practise TH sound words repeatedly.
You could use pictures of familiar words such as thumb, three, toothbrush, bath or tooth and turn them into a matching or memory game.
Some children may enjoy simple TH sound worksheets, while others will be more interested in using the same words during games or play.
Worksheets and picture cards are simply tools for creating practice opportunities. Your child doesn’t need to complete a worksheet if another activity works better for them.
Most importantly, the words should match the particular TH sound and practice level your child is working on.
5. Go on a TH Sound Treasure Hunt
Choose several pictures containing your child’s practice words and hide them around the room.
Your child can search for them and practise each word when they find it.
For example:
“I found the thumb!”
“There’s the toothbrush!”
“I found three!”
If your child is currently practising at the individual-word level, they don’t need to use each word in a sentence. Keep the activity at their current practice level.
6. Play a TH Sound Game
Board games, card games and matching games can make repeated practice more engaging.
Place your child’s TH sound pictures beside a favourite board game. Before taking a turn, choose a picture and practise the word.
You could also make two copies of each picture and play a memory game.
The game doesn’t need complicated speech therapy rules. It’s simply a way to create opportunities to practise the target words.
7. Practise TH in Short Phrases
When your child is ready to move beyond individual words, their Speech Pathologist may recommend practising short phrases.
For example:
- three dogs
- big thumb
- Thursday morning
- my toothbrush
- hot bath
- white teeth.
You can make some of the combinations silly too:
“Three toothbrushes!”
“A thumb in the bath!”
Follow the practice level and TH sound recommended for your child.
8. Try TH Sound Sentences
When your child is ready for sentence-level practice, try using their target words in short sentences.
For example:
“I have three apples.”
“This is my toothbrush.”
“My birthday is today.”
“The bath is full.”
You could also choose a TH picture and take turns making up sentences about it.
There’s no need to move to sentences quickly. Follow the level your child’s Speech Pathologist has recommended.
9. Find TH Words in Books
Books can provide opportunities to notice and practise TH words in a more natural context.
While reading together, look for familiar words containing “th”.
If your child is practising at sentence or conversation level, you could talk about the pictures and story together.
For example:
“What do you think will happen?”
“Where is their mother?”
“What are they doing?”
Choose books your child already enjoys rather than feeling you need a special speech therapy book.
10. Use TH Words During Everyday Routines
TH practice can also be incorporated into familiar parts of the day.
While brushing teeth, you might naturally use words such as tooth, teeth and toothbrush.
At bath time, you might use bath.
When talking about the day, words such as this, that and Thursday may come up naturally.
You don’t need to turn the whole routine into speech practice. Use the opportunities that fit your child’s current target and then continue with the routine.
Practising TH in Conversation
A child may be able to say “th” accurately when concentrating on a particular word but find it harder to use consistently during spontaneous conversation.
If your child is working at conversation level, their Speech Pathologist may suggest short periods of focused practice during storytelling, games or everyday conversations.
The aim is to provide opportunities to use the sound in increasingly natural communication while still giving your child the support they need.
How Often Should We Practise the TH Sound?
There isn’t one practice schedule that’s appropriate for every child.
If your child is receiving Speech Pathology support, follow their Speech Pathologist’s recommendations about how often to practise, which TH sound and words to use and what level to practise at.
Short practice opportunities can often be incorporated into something your child already enjoys.
If they become tired or frustrated, it’s okay to finish and return to the activity another time.
What If My Child Can Say TH Sometimes but Not Always?
This can happen.
Producing a sound correctly in a single word while concentrating on it is different from remembering to use the sound during everyday conversation.
Depending on the child and their therapy goals, speech-sound practice may move through:
sound → words → phrases → sentences → conversation
For example, a child might be able to say think during a structured activity but use their previous speech pattern when they’re busy telling you a story.
This doesn’t necessarily mean practice isn’t working. Using a speech sound consistently during everyday communication can be another part of the learning process.
This progression isn’t a set program every child needs to follow. A Speech Pathologist can determine where practice should begin and how it should progress.
When Should I Speak With a Speech Pathologist?
If you’re unsure whether your child’s TH sound is developing as expected, or you’re noticing other speech sounds that are difficult for them, a Speech Pathologist can help.
Rather than looking at “th” in isolation, they can consider your child’s overall speech-sound development, the patterns they’re using and how understandable their speech is in everyday communication.
Our Speech Therapy for Children: A Parent Guide explains more about what Speech Pathologists can support and what therapy may involve.
Supporting TH Sound Practice at Home
If you’re wondering how to teach the TH sound at home, remember that practice doesn’t need to mean sitting at a table repeating a long list of words.
TH sound worksheets, picture games, treasure hunts, board games, books and everyday routines can all provide opportunities to practise.
Most importantly, practice should match what your child is currently working on. If your child has a Speech Pathologist, use the TH sound, words and cues they have recommended and ask them if you’re unsure how to practise at home.
At Happy Chatter, our Speech Pathologists work with children and families at our pediatric clinic to support speech-sound development and clearer everyday communication.