How to Pronounce TH
There are two dental TH sounds in English, both made by touching the tongue tip behind the top teeth and squeezing the air through. If you only squeeze air, the sound is /θ/, if you also use the voice, it’s /ð/ – come on then, all together “The thieves thought that the throne was authentic.”
On the other hand, there are a few words pronounced with /t/, like the river THAMES, the herb THYME, and the names THOMAS and ESTHER. If you meet anyone called ANTHONY, it’s probably best to ask first, as it can go either way.
/θ/ or /ð/?
CONTENT & FUNCTION
The voiceless sound /θ/ is found in most content words – THINK, THEATRE, AUTHORISE, MATHS, and BOTH to name a few. The voiced sound /ð/ is found in most function words – THE, THIS, THESE, THEM & THERE, though the function word WITH is commonly said both ways – /wɪð/ and /wɪθ/, something I’m sure you can deal with/with!
If your fantasy silo exists in a post-apocalyptic setting, names might include metallic tones, sharp consonants, and industrial borg names. If the silo is magical and ancient, softer vowels and mystical rhythms may work better. Consistency across regions makes your world feel realistic and professionally designed. For example, if one city in your story is called “Varkuun Depth,” then nearby settlements should follow a similar phonetic pattern to maintain authenticity.
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