Consonants /θ/ versus /h/, 39 pairs     [thughug.html]

The /θ/ sound is spelled with <th>. The /h/ sound is spelled with <h>.

These are two voiceless fricatives, one dental and one glottal. The contrast, which only occurs initially, is not a problem, although the sound /θ/ is difficult for many learners.

The mean density value is 1.2%. The list makes 16 semantic distinctions, a loading of 41%.

 	
thank hank 
  thanks hanks 
thatch hatch
  thatched hatched 
  thatches hatches 
  thatching hatching 
thaw haw 
  thawed hawed 
  thawing hawing 
  thaws haws 
thews hews 
thick hick 
thieve heave 
  thieved heaved 
  thieves heaves 
  thieving heaving 
thigh hi 
thigh high
thigh hie
  thighs hies 
third heard 
  thirds herds 
thole hole 
  tholes holes 
thorn horn
  thorns horns 
thorny horny 
  thornier hornier 
  thorniest horniest 
thug hug 
  thugs hugs 
thumb hum 
  thumbed hummed 
  thumbing humming 
  thumbs hums 
thump hump 
  thumped humped 
  thumping humping 
  thumps humps 

John Higgins, Shaftesbury, November 2010
updated Chiang Mai, 2024