Choose from the options lettered A - E the one that contains the sound segment represented by the given phonetic symbol /θ/

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that contains the sound /θ/. This is the voiceless dental fricative, the "th" sound you hear in "think" or "three". Your tongue touches the back of your upper teeth, and air passes through without any vibration in your throat.

Explain the concept: The letters "th" in English can stand for two different sounds:

• /θ/ (voiceless): thin, thank, path, tooth, three
• /ð/ (voiced): this, they, then, teethe, mother

To tell them apart, put a finger on your throat. If you feel a vibration, the sound is voiced /ð/. If you feel none, it is voiceless /θ/.

Solution, option by option:

• A. tank /tæŋk/: it begins with /t/, so there is no /θ/.
• B. teethe /tiːð/: the "th" here is voiced /ð/. A final "e" after "th" in verbs usually signals the voiced sound (compare teeth /tiːθ/, the noun, with teethe, the verb). This is a common trap.
• C. thank /θæŋk/: it begins with the voiceless /θ/. ✔
• D. they /ðeɪ/: this is voiced /ð/.
• E. this /ðɪs/: this is also voiced /ð/.

Answer: The only word containing /θ/ is thank, option C.

Tip: Watch out for noun and verb pairs. Nouns usually have voiceless /θ/ (breath, bath, teeth), and verbs usually have voiced /ð/ (breathe, bathe, teethe). Also remember that function words like the, this, that, they, them, then all use voiced /ð/.