Initial TH Words for Speech Therapy
Words that begin with TH — think, three, this, that. The list holds both TH sounds: the voiceless TH of think and the voiced TH of this.
Word list
1-syllable
- than
- thank
- thanks
- that
- the
- thee
- theft
- their
- them
- theme
- themes
- then
- there
- these
- they
- thick
- thin
- thing
- things
- think
- thinks
- third
- this
- thong
- those
- thou
- though
- thought
- thoughts
- thread
- threads
- threat
- threats
- three
- throat
- through
- throw
- thrown
- throws
- thru
- thumb
- thumbs
- thus
- thy
2-syllable
- themselves
- theorem
- theories
- theory
- thereby
- therefore
- thereof
- thermal
- thesis
- theta
- thickness
- thinking
- thirty
- thorough
- thousand
- thousands
- threaded
- threatened
- threshold
- thriller
- throughout
- throwing
- thumbnail
- thunder
3-syllable
- thanksgiving
- theater
- theaters
- theatre
- therapist
- therapy
- thereafter
- thesaurus
- thoroughly
- threatening
4-syllable
- theology
- therapeutic
5-syllable
- theoretical
Words without competing sounds
- than
- thank
- the
- thee
- their
- them
- theme
- themes
- then
- there
- these
- they
- thick
- thin
- thing
- things
- think
- thong
- those
- thou
- though
- three
- through
- throw
- thrown
- throws
- thru
- thumb
- thumbs
- thy
- theorem
- theories
- theory
- thereby
- thereof
- thermal
- thinking
- thorough
- thriller
- throwing
- thumbnail
- therapy
- thoroughly
- theology
Related lists
Other TH positions
Other sounds in the initial position
Take Initial TH to the next level
Ready-made, pronunciation-checked practice beyond single words:
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/th/: 81 words · competing-free 44Generate a custom worksheet for this sound
Generate your worksheetAbout Initial TH words
The two TH sounds are acquired years apart. 90% of children produce the voiced TH of this by 5;11 and the voiceless TH of think by 6;11 (Crowe & McLeod, 2020), which makes voiceless TH one of the last consonants to arrive in English.
In the initial position the voiced TH is concentrated in function words — the, this, that, then, there — so an error there touches almost every sentence a child says. Voiceless TH is spread across content words instead, which is why the same error is far less noticeable in think than in the.
Practising Initial TH
TH is the most visible consonant in English: the tongue tip shows between the teeth, so a mirror gives instant feedback that no verbal cue matches. Checking voicing with a hand on the throat separates this from think without changing placement.
Acquisition ages: Crowe & McLeod (2020), American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Educational content — an SLP chooses the target for a specific child.
Frequently asked questions
- How many words have /th/ in the initial position?
- Our dictionary lists 81 initial /th/ words suitable for speech therapy practice.
- What are some example initial /th/ words?
- Examples include than, thank, thanks, that, the, thee, theft, their.
- Why are think and this on the same list?
- Because both are spelled th and share a tongue position, differing only in voicing. They are separate phonemes with separate acquisition ages, so it is worth noting which one a child is working on.
- Is fum for thumb a TH error?
- Yes — substituting /f/ for voiceless TH is the most common TH error, and it is typical in preschoolers. It becomes a treatment target when it persists past the age at which TH is normally established.
When do kids master each sound?
Free interactive checker: pick a sound and an age, see the research norm — all 24 consonants, sourced from Crowe & McLeod (2020).
Open the checker →