Note: the podcast recording is not identical to this short essay. But the topic is the same.
Who knew? The "TH" sound in English does not exist in Turkish.
And yet, the articulation of the "TH" sound does exist in Turkish. Really and truly.
If you are a native speaker of Turkish, do this:
1) Say the word "geldi".
2) Repeat the word, but do NOT pronounce the "di". Just say "gel" and stop. Freeze. Don't move. Go look in the mirror and see where your tongue is. Or if no mirror is nearby, just say "gel" and feel where your tongue is. If you're like the native speakers I checked, the tip of your tongue will be between your teeth.
3) Practice this. Say "gel" ten or twenty time and each time, stop and see or feel where your tongue is.
4) Now say "mother" in English. Then repeat it, but leave off the "er" at the end. Guess what? Your tongue should look, feel, and be in exactly the same position as when you say "gel".
Who knew? You Turkish speakers know how to articulate the "th" in English because you've been doing it forever.
Practice this trick, tell your friends, and soon words like: this, that, these, those, the, mother, father, path, and thirty-three will be ever so much easier.
Who knew?
Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
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