Consonants /θ/ versus /r/, 46 pairs     [thugrug.html]

The /θ/ sound is spelled with <th>. The /r/ sound is spelled with <r>, <rr> or <wr>.

This is a contrast between a voiceless dental and alveolar fricative and a voiced continuant, fairly close together in the mouth. It is not a problem, although the individual sounds are difficult for many learners.

Since the /θ/ sound is of low frequency overall, the mean density value is low at 0.4%. The list makes 28 semantic distinctions, a loading of 61%.

 	
Agatha agora
author aura
  authors auras 
bathing barring 
Cathy Carrie 
earthing erring
thane rain 
  thanes rains 
thank rank 
  thanked ranked 
  thanking ranking 
  thanks ranks 
thatch ratch
  thatches ratches 
thaw raw 
thaw roar
  thawed roared 
  thaws roars 
theft reft 
Thetford Retford 
thick rick 
thickets rickets 
thieve reeve 
  thieves reeves 
thigh rye 
thighs rise 
thing ring
  things rings 
thing wring
  things wrings 
think rink 
  thinks rinks 
thole rÔle 
  tholes rôles 
thole roll 
  tholes rolls 
thong wrong
  thongs wrongs
thought wrought
thug rug 
  thugs rugs 
thumb rum 
  thumbs rums
thump rump 
  thumps rumps 
unearthing unerring

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