A question about the english Th sound and the S sound 15 best answer?

Question

I can pronounce the Th sound by itself and with any other letter clearly but I'm struggling when there is a letter s before the Th
Whats that
is the
was the
is that
After the pronounce the S sound, it seems to conflict with my tongue position to strike between the teeth for the "Th" sound. I listen to native speakers and it sounds like "what is that --> what izzat" sounds like there is no Th sound in there. or "is the" sounds like "is zduh" . Do you native speakers when pronouncing the S sound in conjunction with the Th sound , do you stick your tongue out between the teeth. or do you guys do something different. i tried really hard practicing the sound that sounds like Zzth , but everytime my tongue just make a horribly failed hiissshing sound, or after i pronounce the S i have to break for 2 seconds before making the Th sound. cuz i dont think you can ever stick out the tongue when you are the position of pronouncing the S. So maybe someone help clarify to me what you would do when there is an S sound before the Th sound. Please have lots of details as i have done a lot of post but no one seem to give me the detail i need to learn this conjunction. I give 15 points best answer. Happy New Year everyone~

Answer 1

You have to be conscious of your tongue movements. The tongue almost, but not quite, touches the roof of your mouth when making an S sound, and comes into contact with your upper teeth when making the soft TH sound. SLOWLY say IS THAT and just be aware of the tongue movement from top of the mouth to front teeth.



Also be aware that there are two TH sounds in English:



A soft TH sound, as in "the," "that," "this," "though"

This sound is quicker and there is a slight tongue vibration to it.



There is also a hard TH sound as in "thought," "thick," "math,"

This sound allows more air to move over the tongue, and does not have the same vibration. It is a little harder to make after an S, and many people turn it into the soft TH in such situations.

Answer 2

It seems that your tongue position for the 'th' sound is awkward for this combination. When I make the 'th' sound, my tongue is barely touching the bottom of the back of my top teeth. If you try to push your tongue out between your teeth, or put it too high or too low then you will have difficulty.



Try making the 's' sound and the 'th' sound separately and concentrate on how your mouth is shaped for both sounds. If they seem really far apart, then try different ways to move your mouth. There are a lot of ways that you can make the different sounds required in English, but small differences can really affect your ability to speak quickly and clearly.



This is a really interesting subject to me. I found one book, 'English Pronunciation Made Simple' to be helpful for helping my girlfriend learn English. Her native language is Chinese and there were some sounds that were difficult to pick up. It's strange how difficult it is to explain to someone how to make a certain sound, or what the difference between 'd' and 't' is, etc.

Answer 3

"What izzat" is used when speaking more quickly, but when there is a stronger emphasis, most people fully pronounce the "th".



When I say "what is that", I notice that my jaw moves forward and down to make the sound correctly. Imagine dramatically sticking your tongue out, almost like you're pretending to throw up. Do it less dramatic and you should get the sound right. It's all practice.

Answer 4

To say "what is that", when you finish the "is", your tongue should be on the roof of your mouth making the "zz" sound. To transition to the "th" of "that", move the tongue forward towards your top teeth, then drop it down to make the "th" sound.



Hope that helps!