Most languages have no TH sound, so learners swap it for the nearest sound they know. Depending on your first language, think becomes sink, tink or fink, and this becomes zis or dis. Usually people still understand, but sometimes the meaning changes: I sink so, three trees, thanks for the tanks. In this episode: • How to make th • Swaps that change meaning • Th-fronting: listening only • Th in fast speech • Listening lab: bath time • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: think (THINK) — I think so. (neutral) three (THREE) — three slices of toast bath (BAHTH) — Bath time! mouth (MOWTH) — Close your mouth when you eat. thanks (THANKS) — Thanks, Mum! (casual) this, that, the, these, those — Is this yours? with (WITH) — Come with me. Some speakers use the unvoiced TH here; both are fine. together (tuh-GETH-uh) — Let's do it together. weather (WETH-uh) — Lovely weather today! think / sink / tink — I think it's in the sink. three / tree / free — three trees, all free thanks / tanks — Thanks! (not the water tanks) mouth / mouse — There's a mouse! / Open your mouth. thought / taught / fought — I thought so. / She taught me. they / day — They're here. / It's a nice day. those / doze — Pass me those. / I'm going to doze on the sofa (sleep lightly). thin / tin / fin — a thin slice / a tin of beans fink — think bovver — bother: Don't bovver, I'll do it. free — three: free o'clock muvver — mother birfday — birthday with the (WITH-thuh) — the two THs become one long TH: Help me with the shopping. on the (ON-thuh), at the (AT-thuh) — Your keys are on the table. Real British English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — modern British accent, everyday grammar, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang, he/she/it for things, and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.