Free printable · digraphs

th words for kids

Th is a digraph with two sounds. In thin and bath it is a quiet puff of air; in this and that your voice buzzes. Both are made with the tongue between the teeth.

This page has 26 th words in 3 groups: quiet th at the start, buzzing th at the start, and th at the end.

Quiet th at the start (as in thin)

  • thank
  • thick
  • thin
  • thing
  • think
  • three
  • thrill
  • thud
  • thump

Buzzing th at the start (as in this)

  • than
  • that
  • them
  • then
  • these
  • this
  • those

th at the end

  • bath
  • broth
  • cloth
  • depth
  • fifth
  • math
  • moth
  • path
  • tenth
  • with

How to use this list

  1. Ask your child to put a hand on their throat. For this and that they should feel a buzz; for thin and thick, no buzz.
  2. Keep sessions short: a few minutes a day beats one long session a week.
  3. Ask your child to say each sound and then blend them into the word. If they guess from the first letter, cover the word and go sound by sound again.
  4. Print the flashcards, mix them up, and read them out of order once the list feels easy, so your child is reading the word and not remembering the list.

Frequently asked questions

Why does th make two different sounds?

English uses the same two letters for a voiced sound (this, then) and an unvoiced one (thin, bath). Children do not need the terms; hearing the buzz is enough.

My child says "fing" for thing. Should I worry?

Many young children swap th for f or v while their speech develops, and some accents do it too. Keep modelling the word. If you are worried about speech, ask your child's teacher or doctor.

Are words like the and they on this list?

They start with th, but the rest of the word is not spelled the way it sounds, so they are better learned as sight words. This list keeps to words your child can sound out.

Free: the 10-minute daily phonics routine

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