Though versus thought. The voiced and unvoiced th.

The voicing or unvoicing of the "th" sound (/ð/ for voiced and /θ/ for unvoiced) is a nuanced dance influenced by surrounding sounds and the word's position. Let's delve into the scenarios when and why the "th" sound takes on a voiced or unvoiced quality.

Voiced "Th" (/ð/):

• When Surrounded by Vowels or Voiced Consonants:

• The "th" sound tends to be voiced when nestled among vowels or other voiced consonants. Examples include:

• "this" (/ðɪs/)

• "feather" (/ˈfɛðər/)

Unvoiced "Th" (/θ/):

• At the Beginning of Words:

• The "th" sound is typically, though not universally, unvoiced at the word's outset, as seen in "think" (/θɪŋk/) and "thunder" (/ˈθʌndər/).

• "math" (/mæθ/)

Examples:

• Voiced "Th":

• "brother" (/ˈbrʌðər/)

• "weather" (/ˈwɛðər/)

• Unvoiced "Th":

• "thank" (/θæŋk/)

• "thought" (/θɔt/)

• After Voiceless Consonants:

• The "th" sound typically becomes unvoiced when succeeding a voiceless consonant. For example:

Voiced or Unvoiced Depending on Dialect:

• In certain dialects or variations of English, speakers may interchange the voiced and unvoiced "th" sounds, particularly in informal speech. This variation doesn't alter the meaning but reflects regional accents or individual pronunciation preferences.