TH Words for Kids: Easy Lists for Both TH Sounds

TH words are words with the letters T and H side by side, like this, thin, bath and mother. Together, T and H make one new sound, so TH is a consonant digraph. The TH digraph has two sounds: the voiced TH in this, which buzzes in the throat, and the unvoiced TH in thin, which is only air.

In this guide, you’ll find easy TH words for kids sorted by sound and by position (beginning, middle and end), plus a mouth diagram, a quick voiced-or-unvoiced flowchart, practice sentences, games and teaching tips from a classroom teacher.

What Are TH Words?

TH words are any words that use the th spelling pattern. The TH can come at the beginning of a word (three), in the middle (mother) or at the end (bath).

Kids usually meet TH words right after they learn to read CVC words like cat, sit and hop. TH is taught together with the other first digraphs, SH, CH and WH. Once a child knows TH, they can read some of the most common words in English, such as the, this, that and they.

Is TH a Digraph or a Blend?

Many parents search for “TH blends,” but TH is a digraph, not a blend. In a blend like st or bl, you can still hear both letters. In a digraph, the two letters make one new sound. You cannot hear a T or an H in the word thin.

Why Are TH Words Hard for Kids?

The TH sound is one of the later speech sounds kids learn to say clearly. There are three main reasons:

• The tongue tip has to go between the teeth, which feels strange at first.
• One spelling makes two different sounds.
• Kids often swap TH for an easier sound, like saying “fink” for think or “dis” for this.

This is a normal part of speech development. With short, daily practice, most kids get there.

Voiced vs Unvoiced TH Words: What’s the Difference?

Both TH sounds use the same tongue placement. The tongue tip rests gently between the top and bottom teeth, and air flows out over the tongue. The only difference is whether the vocal cords are “on” or “off.”

	Voiced TH /ð/	Unvoiced TH /θ/
What you hear	A buzzy sound (voice ON)	A quiet, windy sound (voice OFF)
Example words	this, that, mother, with	thin, think, bath, three
Throat test	You feel a buzz	You feel no buzz, only air
Kid-friendly name	“Buzzy TH”	“Windy TH”

Try the throat test: Ask your child to put a hand on their throat and say “thhhh-is.” They will feel a buzz from the vocal cords. Then say “thhhh-in.” There’s no buzz, just air blowing out. This simple test helps kids hear and feel the difference between the two sounds.

When Does TH Make Each Sound?

There is no perfect rule, but these patterns work for most TH words:

• Small, everyday words like the, this, that, they, them, then use the voiced TH.
• TH between two vowels, as in mother, feather, other, is usually voiced.
• Words ending in -the, like bathe, breathe, soothe, use the voiced TH.
• Most other words, including nouns and action words like think, three, thumb, bath, tooth, use the unvoiced TH.

A fun word pair for older kids is breath (unvoiced) and breathe (voiced). The extra E changes the sound.

Voiced TH Words List

Voiced TH words make the buzzy /ð/ sound. Many of them are also high-frequency sight words, so kids will see them on almost every page of a book.

Voiced TH: Beginning Sound

the	this	that	these
those	them	they	then
there	their	than	though
thus	they’re	themselves	therefore

Voiced TH: Middle Sound

mother	father	brother	other
feather	weather	together	leather
either	rather	bother	another
grandmother	grandfather	northern	southern

Voiced TH: Ending Sound

with	smooth	breathe	bathe
soothe	clothe	teethe	loathe

Unvoiced TH Words List

Unvoiced TH words make the quiet /θ/ sound. Only air comes out, with no buzz in the throat.

Unvoiced TH: Beginning Sound

thin	think	thank	thick
thumb	thing	three	throw
thirty	thirsty	thunder	Thursday
thorn	thread	throat	thought
third	theme	thief	throne

Unvoiced TH: Middle Sound

birthday	nothing	bathtub	toothbrush
author	python	athlete	something
bathroom	healthy	everything	toothpaste

Unvoiced TH: Ending Sound

bath	math	path	moth
teeth	tooth	mouth	both
north	south	earth	month
cloth	fifth	sixth	tenth
health	breath	truth	length

TH Words by Position: Beginning, Middle and End

Speech therapists and teachers often practice TH words by position, because a child may say TH well at the start of a word but not at the end. Use this chart to check all three positions.

Body game: Say a word like mother or bath. Kids touch their head if the TH is at the beginning, their tummy if it’s in the middle, and their toes if it’s at the end.

Easy TH Words for Beginning Readers

For kids just starting out, choose short TH words that follow simple phonics patterns. They connect nicely with short A words and other short vowel words your child already knows.

Short Vowel	Easy TH Words
Short a	that, than, math, bath, path
Short e	then, them, Beth
Short i	this, thin, with
Short o	moth, cloth
Short u	thud, thump, thus

Start with this, that, thin, math, bath and moth. They are short, easy to sound out and easy to picture.

TH Words for Kindergarten (Including TH Sight Words)

Kindergarten kids should first learn the TH sight words they see in almost every book: the, this, that, they, them, then, there and with. Read them every day until kids know them on sight.

Next, add a few TH words for kindergarten that kids can sound out, like thin, math, bath, path, moth, three and thank.

TH Sight Words	Easy TH Words to Sound Out
the, this, that, they	thin, math, bath
them, then, there, with	path, moth, three, thank

If your child is still learning letter names and sounds, pair this list with our letter recognition activities and the letter sounds phonics video.

Hard TH Words for Older Kids

Once kids know the basics, challenge them with longer, multi-syllable words. These are good for first and second graders who are ready for more.

thermometer	theater	thousand
throughout	thoughtful	Thanksgiving
arithmetic	marathon	enthusiastic
mathematics	sympathy	weatherman

TH Phrases and Sentences for Kids

Reading TH words in short phrases and sentences helps kids move from sounding out single words to real reading.

Short TH Phrases

• this thing
• three thin moths
• thank you, mother
• a bath with bubbles
• the fifth birthday

Voiced TH Sentences

1. This is my mother.
2. They went there together.
3. That feather is soft and smooth.
4. My brother plays with the ball.

Unvoiced TH Sentences

1. I think I lost a tooth.
2. Three thin moths flew down the path.
3. Thank you for the bath toy!
4. We do math on Thursday.

Mixed challenge: “This thick book is the fifth one I read this month.” Ask your child to find every TH word and say whether it is buzzy or windy.

How to Teach TH Words Step by Step

Use these six steps at home or in class. Each step takes only five to ten minutes.

Step 1: Show the Tongue Placement

Sit in front of a small mirror with your child. Show how the tongue tip peeks out between the teeth. Make it silly: “Let’s stick our tongue out a tiny bit, like a sleepy snake!”

Step 2: Teach One Sound at a Time

Start with the unvoiced TH (thin, bath) because kids can hold the sound longer and practice blowing air. Add the voiced TH (this, mother) after a few days.

Step 3: Use the Throat Test

Hands on the throat. Buzz or no buzz? This turns careful listening into a game.

Step 4: Read Short Word Lists

Read five to eight words a day instead of one long list. Short, daily practice works better than one long session each week.

Step 5: Move to Phrases, Sentences and Books

Once your child can read the words alone, use the sentences above. Then go on a TH hunt in picture books and story time.

Step 6: Write and Trace TH Words

Writing helps spelling stick. Use our free letter tracing worksheets tool to make a tracing sheet with words like thin, bath and three. For more handwriting help, read our guide on how to teach a child to write letters.

Fun TH Word Games and Activities

1. Buzzy or Windy Sort: Write TH words on cards. Kids sort them into two piles: voiced (buzzy) and unvoiced (windy).
2. TH Treasure Hunt: Hide TH word cards around the room. Each time kids find one, they read it aloud.
3. Tongue Mirror Game: Kids say a word into a mirror and check that their tongue tip is peeking out.
4. Feather Blow: Hold a small feather or a piece of tissue in front of the mouth. When kids say an unvoiced TH word correctly, the air makes it move. Blowing bubbles before practice is a great warm-up too.
5. TH Bingo: Make bingo cards with TH words. Call out a word, and kids cover it.
6. Thumbs Up for TH: Read a mix of words. Kids give a thumbs up only when they hear a TH word.
7. TH Words for Thursday: Make Thursday your “TH Day.” Kids bring one thing that starts with TH, like a thumb puppet, three toys or a thread, and say its name.
8. TH Story Time: Use our writing prompt generator for kids and challenge older kids to write a short story using five TH words.

A 5-Day TH Practice Plan

Busy parents and teachers often ask how much practice is enough. This simple weekly plan takes about ten minutes a day and covers listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Day	Focus	What to Do
Monday	Listening	Say pairs like fin/thin and day/they. Kids point to the TH word.
Tuesday	Tongue placement	Mirror practice and the throat test with five unvoiced words.
Wednesday	Voiced sound	Read the small sight words: the, this, that, they, them.
Thursday	Phrases and sentences	Read three sentences together, then play TH Bingo.
Friday	Writing	Trace and write six words, then use one in a sentence.

Keep a small chart on the fridge and add a sticker after each session. Kids love seeing their progress, and a quick review at the end of the week shows which sound still needs work.

Practicing the TH Sound at Home Like a Speech Therapist

Speech therapists use a few clever tricks that parents can borrow at home. You don’t need special tools, just a little time each day.

• Start with the sound alone. Before using full words, practice a long “thhhh” like a quiet wind. Then add a vowel: “thaaa,” “theee,” “thooo.”
• Use carrier phrases. Put each word inside the same short phrase, like “I see a ___” or “I want the ___.” Repeating the phrase helps kids focus on the target sound.
• Go by syllables. Practice one-syllable words first (thin, bath), then two-syllable words (thunder, birthday), then longer words (thermometer).
• Praise the effort. Say “Great tongue!” even when the sound is not perfect yet. Confidence builds faster than correction.
• Keep sessions short. Five focused minutes after breakfast and five before bedtime work better than a 30-minute lesson.

Minimal pairs are another powerful tool. These are two words that differ by only one sound, like fought/thought, free/three, sink/think, den/then and dare/there. Say one word and ask your child which one they heard. This trains the ear before the mouth.

From My Classroom

In my eight years of teaching, many of my students who needed extra support struggled with TH because they could not feel the difference between the two sounds. Word lists alone did not help them. What worked was making the sound physical. Every student kept a small hand mirror on the desk, and we did the throat test before each reading. I also paired a confident reader with a child who was still learning, and they took turns being the “TH checker.” Week by week, students who had been saying “fink” and “dis” began reading think and this correctly, and they were proud to help each other.

My tip for parents: never say “That’s wrong.” Say “Let me see your tongue!” It keeps practice light, fun and stress-free.

Fun Facts About the TH Sound

Older kids love a little word history. Share these fun facts to make practice more interesting:

• “The” is the most common word in English. That means your child will read the voiced TH sound more often than almost any other sound.
• TH once had its own letters. Long ago, Old English used special letters called thorn (þ) and eth (ð) for this sound. Later, printers replaced them with the two letters T and H.
• Many languages don’t have the TH sound. That’s why kids learning English as a second language often find it tricky. They may say “s,” “t,” “d” or “z” instead.
• Your tongue is a key player. TH is one of the few English sounds where the tongue tip comes out past the teeth, which is why a mirror is such a helpful tool.

Common TH Mistakes and Quick Fixes

Mistake	Example	Quick Fix
Saying F for unvoiced TH	“fink” for think	Tongue out first, then blow air. Check in a mirror.
Saying D for voiced TH	“dis” for this	Tongue between the teeth, then turn the buzz on.
Saying V for voiced TH	“muvver” for mother	Make sure the top teeth are not resting on the lip.
Reading T and H separately	“t-h-in” for thin	Teach TH as “two letters, one sound.”

If your child still has trouble with TH after age 8, or has trouble with many speech sounds, talk to their teacher or a speech-language pathologist. ASHA’s family guide to speech sound disorders explains what is typical and when to get help. For more ideas on teaching digraphs and decoding, Reading Rockets has a helpful phonics and decoding section for parents and teachers.

Frequently Asked Questions About TH Words

Final Thoughts

TH words are a big step in learning to read, because so many everyday words like the, this and they use them. Teach one sound at a time, use a mirror and the throat test, and practice a few words every day. When your child is ready, keep building skills with our CVC words list and the free name tracing worksheet maker.