Th-stopping
# Th-stopping

Th-stopping is the realization of the dental fricatives [θ, ð] as stops—either dental or alveolar—which occurs in several dialects of English. In some accents, such as of Indian English and middle- or upper-class Irish English, they are realized as the dental stops [t̪, d̪] and as such do not merge with the alveolar stops /t, d/; thus, for example, tin ([tʰɪn] in Ireland and [ʈɪn] in India) is not a homophone of thin [t̪ʰɪn]. In other accents, such as varieties of Caribbean English, Nigerian English, Liberian English, and older, rural, or working-class Irish English, such pairs are indeed merged. Variation between both dental and alveolar forms exists in much of the working-class English speech of North America and sometimes southern England. It is also common for babies and toddlers, who are still learning to talk and/or haven't fully grown their front teeth capable of producing the Th sound. Th-stopping occurred in all continental Germanic languages, resulting in cognates such as German die for "the" and Bruder for "brother".

## New York City English

For the working class of New York City and its surrounding region, the fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ are often pronounced as affricatives or stops, rather than as fricatives. Usually they remain dental, so that the oppositions /t-θ/ and [d-ð] are not lost. Thus thanks may be pronounced [θæŋks], [tθæŋks], or [t̪æŋks] in decreasing order of occurrence; all are distinct from tanks [tʰæŋks]. The [t̪] variant has a weakish articulation. The /t-θ/ opposition may be lost, exceptionally in the environment of a following /r/ (making three homophonous with tree), and in the case of the word with, (so that with a may rhyme with the non-rhotic pronunciation of "bitter-bidder"; with you may be [wɪtʃu], following the same yod-coalescence rule as hit you. These pronunciations are all stigmatized.

The [d-ð] opposition seems to be lost more readily, though not as readily as the "Brooklynese" stereotype might lead one to believe. As in many other places, initial [ð] is subject to assimilation or deletion in a range of environments in relatively informal and/or popular speech, e.g. who's there [huz (z)ɛə]; as in many other places, it is also subject to stopping there /dɛə/. This option extends to one or two words in which the /ð/ is not initial, e.g. other, which can thus become a homonym of utter-udder. But it would not be usual for southern to be pronounced identically with sudden or breathe with breed.

## African American Vernacular English

In African American Vernacular English, in the words with and nothing, [t] may occur corresponding to standard [θ], with the [t] itself being succeeded by the t-glottalization rule: thus [wɪʔ] for with and [ˈnʌʔɪn] for $nothing.^{:83}$ Th-stopping is also reported for some other non-initial [θ]s, apparently particularly when preceded by a nasal and followed by a plosive, as keep your mouth $closed.^{:90}$ In initial position, [θ] occurs in AAVE just as in standard accents: thin is [θɪn], without the stopping of West Indian accents. Stopping of initial [ð], however, is frequent, making then pronounced as [d̪ɛn] or sometimes homophonous with den.

## Frequency in other accents

Th-stopping is also commonly heard, specifically from speakers of working-class origins, in the American English dialects of the Inland North (for example, in Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Scranton), the Upper Midwest (for example in the especially Fennoscandian-descended locals of Minnesota's Iron Range and Michigan's Upper Peninsula), and the Mid-Atlantic region (for example, in Philadelphia and Baltimore), It is also heard in a minority of speakers of England's Estuary dialect (for example, in London), but only in the case of word-initial /ð/. Many speakers of Philippine English and some speakers of other variants in Asia also have th-stopping.

The dialect of Sheffield in England is sometimes referred to as "dee-dar" because of the Th-stopping to change initial /ð/ to /d/. However, a 1997 study in Sheffield found this was then largely confined to older males.

## Homophonous pairs

| /t, d/ | /θ, ð/ | IPA | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| ate | eighth | ˈeɪt | Some accents pronounce ate as /ɛt/ |
| Bart | bath | ˈbɑːt | Non-rhotic accents with trap–bath split. |
| bat | bath | ˈbæt | Without trap–bath split. |
| bayed | bathe | ˈbeɪd |
| bet | Beth | ˈbɛt |
| bladder | blather | ˈblædə(ɹ) |
| blight | Blythe | ˈblaɪt |
| blitter | blither | ˈblɪɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| boat | both | ˈboʊt |
| body | bothy | ˈbɒɾi | Without lot–cloth split and with intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| boot | booth | ˈbuːt |
| breed | breathe | ˈbɹiːd |
| Brett | breath | ˈbɹɛt |
| brought | broth | ˈbrɔːt | With lot–cloth split. Also /ˈbrɒt/ in some accents. |
| cedar | seether | ˈsiːdə(ɹ) |
| cent | synth | ˈsɪnt | With pin–pen merger. |
| cite | scythe | ˈsaɪt |
| clot | cloth | ˈklɒt | Without cot–caught merger. |
| coot | couth | ˈkuːt |
| D; dee | the | ˈdiː | The before vowels and silent H. |
| D; dee | thee | ˈdiː |
| Dan | than | ˈdæn |
| dare | their | ˈdeə(ɹ) |
| dare | there | ˈdeə(ɹ) |
| dare | they're | ˈdeə(ɹ) |
| Darude | the rude | dəˈruːd |
| day | they | ˈdeɪ |
| debt | death | ˈdɛt |
| Dee | the | ˈdiː | The before vowels and silent H. |
| Dee | thee | ˈdiː |
| den | then | ˈdɛn |
| dense | thence | ˈdɛns |
| dents | thence | ˈdɛn(t)s |
| dhow | thou | ˈdaʊ |
| die | thy | ˈdaɪ |
| dine | thine | ˈdaɪn |
| dirt | dearth | ˈdɜː(ɹ)t | with fern–fir–fur merger. |
| dis | this | ˈdɪs |
| doe | though | ˈdoʊ |
| does | those | ˈdoʊz |
| dough | though | ˈdoʊ |
| dow | thou | ˈdaʊ |
| dow | though | ˈdoʊ |
| drought | drouth | ˈdɹaʊt |
| dye | thy | ˈdaɪ |
| eater | either | ˈiːɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| eater | ether | ˈiːtə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| eight | eighth | ˈeɪt |
| Ent | nth | ˈɛnt |
| fate | faith | ˈfeɪt |
| fetter | feather | ˈfɛɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| fit | fifth | ˈfɪt | Some accents pronounce fifth as /ˈfɪft/. |
| fodder | father | ˈfɑːdə(ɹ) | With father–bother merger. |
| fort | forth | ˈfɔː(ɹ)t |
| fort | fourth | ˈfɔː(ɹ)t |
| fraught | froth | ˈfɹɔːt | With lot–cloth split. |
| frot | froth | ˈfɹɒt | Without lot–cloth split. |
| got | goth, Goth | ˈɡɒt |
| groat | growth | ˈɡɹoʊt |
| hart | hearth | ˈhɑː(ɹ)t |
| hat | hath | ˈhæt |
| header | heather | ˈhɛdə(ɹ) |
| heart | hearth | ˈhɑː(ɹ)t |
| heat | heath | ˈhiːt |
| hitter | hither | ˈhɪɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| hurt | earth | ˈɜː(ɹ)t | With H-dropping and fern–fir–fur merger. |
| Ida | either | ˈaɪdə | Non-rhotic accents. |
| knead | neath | ˈniːd |
| kneader | neither | ˈniːdə(ɹ) |
| kneed | neath | ˈniːd |
| ladder | lather | ˈlædə(ɹ) |
| lade | lathe | ˈleɪd |
| laid | lathe | ˈleɪd |
| latter | lather | ˈlæɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| letter | leather | ˈlɛɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| lied | lithe | ˈlaɪd |
| load | loathe | ˈloʊd |
| lode | loathe | ˈloʊd |
| loud | Louth | ˈlaʊd |
| martyr | Martha | ˈmɑːtə | Non-rhotic accents. |
| mat | math | ˈmæt |
| matte | math | ˈmæt |
| mead | Meath | ˈmiːd |
| meat | Meath | ˈmiːt |
| meet | Meath | ˈmiːt |
| met | meth | ˈmɛt |
| mete | Meath | ˈmiːt |
| mitt | myth | ˈmɪt |
| motte | moth | ˈmɑt |
| mutter | mother | ˈmʌɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| naught | north | ˈnɔːt | Non-rhotic accents. |
| neater | neither | ˈniːɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. Some accents pronounce neither as /ˈnaɪtə(ɹ)/. |
| neat | neath | ˈniːt |
| need | neath | ˈniːd |
| oat | oath | ˈoʊt |
| oats | oaths | ˈoʊts |
| odes | oaths | ˈoʊdz |
| pads | paths | ˈpædz | Without trap–bath split. |
| paid | pathe | ˈpeɪd |
| part | path | ˈpɑːt | Non-rhotic accents with trap–bath split. |
| parts | paths | ˈpɑːts | Non-rhotic accents with trap–bath split. |
| pat | path | ˈpæt | Without trap–bath split. |
| pats | paths | ˈpæts | Without trap–bath split. |
| pit | pith | ˈpɪt |
| pity | pithy | ˈpɪti |
| rat | wrath | ˈɹæt | Without trap–bath split. |
| rate | wraith | ˈɹeɪt |
| read | wreathe | ˈɹiːd |
| reads | wreathes | ˈɹiːdz |
| reads | wreaths | ˈɹiːdz |
| reed | wreathe | ˈɹiːd |
| reeds | wreathes | ˈɹiːdz |
| reeds | wreaths | ˈɹiːdz |
| ride | writhe | ˈɹaɪd |
| rot | Roth | ˈɹɒt | Without lot–cloth split. |
| root | ruth, Ruth | ˈɹuːt | With yod-dropping. Some accents pronounce root as /ˈɹʊt/. |
| route | ruth, Ruth | ˈɹuːt | With yod-dropping. Some accents pronounce route as /ˈɹaʊt/. |
| scent | synth | ˈsɪnt | With pen–pin merger. |
| seed | seethe | ˈsiːd |
| seeder | seether | ˈsiːdə(ɹ) |
| sent | synth | ˈsɪnt | With pen–pin merger. |
| set | saith | ˈsɛt |
| set | Seth | ˈsɛt |
| she'd | sheathe | ˈʃiːd |
| sheet | sheath | ˈʃiːt |
| side | scythe | ˈsaɪd |
| sight | scythe | ˈsaɪt |
| sit | Sith | ˈsɪt |
| site | scythe | ˈsaɪt |
| smit | smith | ˈsmɪt |
| smite | Smyth | ˈsmaɪt |
| spilt | spilth | ˈspɪlt |
| soot | sooth | ˈsuːt | Some accents pronounce soot as /ˈsʊt/. |
| sudden | southern | ˈsʌdən | Non-rhotic accents. |
| sued | soothe | ˈsuːd | With yod-dropping. |
| suede | swathe | ˈsweɪd | Some accents pronounce swathe as /ˈswɒd/. |
| suit | sooth | ˈsuːt | With yod-dropping. |
| swat | swath | ˈswɒt | Without lot–cloth split. |
| swayed | swathe | ˈsweɪd | Some accents pronounce swathe as /ˈswɒd/. |
| tank | thank | ˈtæŋk |
| tater | theta | ˈteɪtə | Non-rhotic accents. Some accents pronounce theta as /ˈtiːtə/. |
| taught | thought | ˈtɔːt |
| team | theme | ˈtiːm |
| teary | theory | ˈtɪəɹi |
| teat | teeth | ˈtiːt |
| teed | teethe | ˈtiːd |
| teeter | theta | ˈtiːtə | Non-rhotic accents. Some accents pronounce theta as /ˈteɪtə/. |
| tent | tenth | ˈtɛnt |
| Thai | thigh | ˈtaɪ |
| tic | thick | ˈtɪk |
| tick | thick | ˈtɪk |
| ticket | thicket | ˈtɪkət |
| tide | tithe | ˈtaɪd |
| tie | thigh | ˈtaɪ |
| tied | tithe | ˈtaɪd |
| tin | thin | ˈtɪn |
| tinker | thinker | ˈtɪnkə(ɹ) |
| toot | tooth | ˈtuːt |
| tor | thaw | ˈtɔː | Non-rhotic accents. |
| tor | Thor | ˈtɔː(ɹ) |
| tore | thaw | ˈtɔː | Non-rhotic accents with horse–hoarse merger. |
| tore | Thor | ˈtɔː(ɹ) | With horse–hoarse merger. |
| torn | thorn | ˈtɔː(ɹ)n | With horse–hoarse merger. |
| tort | thought | ˈtɔː(ɹ)t | Non-rhotic accents. |
| tote | Thoth | ˈtoʊt |
| trash | thrash | ˈtɹæʃ |
| trawl | thrall | ˈtɹɔːl |
| tread | thread | ˈtɹɛd |
| tree | three | ˈtɹiː |
| trill | thrill | ˈtɹɪl |
| true | threw | ˈtɹuː, ˈtɹɪu |
| true | through | ˈtɹuː | With yod-dropping. |
| trust | thrust | ˈtɹʌst |
| tum | thumb | ˈtʌm |
| tump | thump | ˈtʌmp |
| turd | third | ˈtɜː(ɹ)d | With fern–fir–fur merger. |
| udder | other | ˈʌdə(ɹ) |
| utter | other | ˈʌɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| Utes | youths | ˈjuːts |
| welt | wealth | ˈwɛlt |
| wetter | weather | ˈwɛɾə(ɹ) | With intervocalic alveolar flapping. |
| wit | width | ˈwɪt |
| wit | with | ˈwɪt |
| wordy | worthy | ˈwɜː(ɹ)di, ˈwʌɹdi |
| wort | worth | ˈwɜː(ɹ)t, ˈwʌɹt | Some accents pronounce wort as /ˈwɔː(ɹ)t/. |
| wrought | Roth | ˈɹɔːt | With lot–cloth split. |
| wrought | wroth | ˈɹɔːt | With lot–cloth split. |
