I used to think the “th” sound is hard because it is uncommon in my language, we do not use our tongues to hit the top teeth like that. But then, it became 2nd nature after living abroad for almost 20 years.
Recently i happen to work with a lot of architects and designers and 1 word comes up which I think is the most difficult to pronouncr: AESTHETIC.
It sounds very simple but if you break down the syllables, your tongue needs to do a bit of work.
For the British English version, the “t” in tic is pronounced quite strong, as in “tick”. Mostly, your tongue only needs to worry about the “THE” sound, i.e. ES-THE-TIC.
In US English, the “t” is most often pronounced as a soft “d”. This means “TIC” will sound like “DIC”. So your tongue needs to flick up for the “THE” sound and then immediately flick down for the “DIC”.
This gets even harder if you consider the adverb: AESTHETICALLY. A lot of tongue gymnasium involve…
Any other words or phrase that you think is dificult?
I have trouble with “sixths”.
and “twelvths”
Stumbled on this tongue twister in the wild. It’s freaking impossible.
Soldier shoulder surgery.
My children’s optometrist is a place called “Tropical Optical”. I can’t do it.
Unique New York
Ostentatious Austin, Texas
Months. The S after the TH as in THink vs THe, is difficult.
Most native speakers do not really pronounce the “ths”. Typically you hear “mons”.
Its a lot easier if you think of it as the same sound you’d get at the end of badum tiss
You could always claim you learned English from Irish English speakers: they commonly substitute dental frictives with the plosives, so /th/ with /t/ or /d/.
And the nimmins are replaced by addabs.
I’m from the American Southeast. I speak with a tarheel drawl. To listen to me speak, you’d think the word “rural” has four Rs in it. Rrrrl.
When I was younger I read and listened to a lot of English but didn’t speak too much. It took me years to get a better hang of “Three” and “Free”.
Thats ok, there are entire regions of London that have the same problem.
Any combination of “th” and “s”. Like “months”, " clothes", etc.
Most native speakers do not really pronounce the “ths”. Typically you hear “mons”, “close”.
I could see that in an Irish accent, but no I never hear that.
Here’s a demonstration of what in taking about: https://youtu.be/o8WeXem5YMQ?t=551
He does say this is in American English specifically tho.
February. I’m happy I don’t have to say it often.
UK native speaker. I tend to pronounce it “feb-ə-ree”
Is there anywhere on earth that pronounces the R? FEB-you-air-EE.
In India, it’s usually feb-ru-(v)a-ree. Our languages write words as they are pronounced, and we’re too lazy to make an exception for English.
Yeah English phonics is a garbage fire. Just look at that last sentence.
My sister can’t say sea minerals without it sounding like semen roll.
I can not wrap my tounge around ambulance while in a sentence.
So as an Aussie I just call them ambos.i used to have difficulty pronouncing the “th” sound as a child too. i would use the same accent my parents did when they used it in words like “three” and i can remember celebrating the moment i realized that i said the number “three” correctly, naturally and without a thought.
ever since then, i’ve struggled with NOT pronouncing the “th” sound when i speak words that require the hard rolling-r sound like in the spanish word “tres”, so go figure. lol
Legislative.
For me, probably “specific” and “interdisciplinary”
Pacific
Sphere or Sphincter
