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exercices vocaux pour maîtriser les sons th et r en anglais visualisation

exercices vocaux pour maîtriser les sons th et r en anglais

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The sounds th and r in English are often difficult for French speakers because they do not match the usual French sound system. Targeted vocal exercises make the difference visible and physical: the tongue must move differently, airflow must be controlled, and voicing must be felt clearly.

Son TH

The English th sound has two distinct forms: the voiceless /θ/ (as in “think”) and the voiced /ð/ (as in “this”). 4 Both sounds are produced with the tongue placed near or between the front teeth, which is unusual for many French speakers and often explains why th is replaced by s, z, t, or d in everyday speech.

Voiceless TH /θ/

To produce the voiceless “th” sound:

  • Place the tip of your tongue between your upper and lower front teeth. 6
  • Gently blow air out while keeping your vocal cords relaxed—no vibration should be felt in your throat. 5
  • Keep the sound soft and continuous rather than sharp or explosive.
  • Practice with words like think, three, thick, thought, and bath. 4, 6

A useful cue is to let the tongue touch the teeth lightly, not press hard. If the airflow stops completely, the sound becomes too close to a t; if the tongue stays too far back, it often turns into s.

Try this exercise: Repeat the sentence slowly:
“Three thousand thoughts came through thick.” 2
Focus on the consistent airflow and tongue placement. The repeated /θ/ in three, thousand, thoughts, through, and thick trains both articulation and rhythm.

A practical progression for /θ/ is:

  • isolated sound: th, th, th
  • syllables: tha, the, thi, tho, thu
  • short words: thin, thought, tooth
  • short phrases: thin thread, three things, thick path

Voiced TH /ð/

For the voiced “th” sound:

  • Position your tongue the same way, lightly touching the back of your upper teeth. 6
  • This time, engage your vocal cords—place your fingers on your throat to feel the vibration. 5
  • Practice with words like the, they, this, that, mother, and breathe. 8, 4

The main difference between /θ/ and /ð/ is voicing, not tongue position. The tongue stays in almost the same place, but /ð/ uses the voice while /θ/ does not. In connected speech, /ð/ appears very often in function words such as the, this, that, these, and those, so it is one of the most useful sounds for intelligible English.

Use this sentence for repetition:
“Their mothers are breathing more than them.” 2
Ensure each “th” vibrates slightly. The sentence alternates voiced th sounds in their, mothers, breathing, than, and them, which makes it especially useful for building consistency.

A helpful tip is to start by exaggerating the tongue movement and then gradually reduce it for natural speech. Recording yourself and comparing with native speakers can also improve accuracy. 5, 6 A mirror can help confirm that the tongue really reaches the front teeth instead of staying hidden behind them.

Common TH mistakes

French speakers often substitute:

  • s for /θ/: think → “sink”
  • z for /ð/: this → “zis”
  • t or d when the tongue touches the teeth too firmly

These substitutions are understandable, but they change meaning in some words. In conversation, thin and sin or then and den can be confused immediately, so the distinction matters more than perfect accent.

Son R

The English “r” sound is produced differently than in French and requires precise tongue positioning. In many French varieties, the r is uvular and made in the throat, while English r is made with the tongue and lips, not the uvula.

Articulation Technique

  • For the American “r”, curl the tip of your tongue upward without touching the roof of your mouth—the tongue should remain low and bunched in the back. 1
  • The sound is retroflex, meaning the tongue is slightly curled back, but not touching any part of the mouth. 1
  • Keep the lips slightly rounded, especially in stressed syllables.
  • Avoid the French uvular “r”, which is produced in the throat.

A good way to think about the English r is that it is “shaped” rather than struck. The tongue does not tap the teeth or the palate; instead, it creates a resonant cavity that gives the sound its characteristic quality. Many learners find it easier to start from a vowel-like position and then add the r shape at the end.

Practice Exercises

Begin with simple words containing “r” at the beginning, middle, and end:

  • red, road, rain, car, better, letter. 1

Repeat the following phrases:

  • “Red roses rise rapidly.”
  • “Three roads lead to the river.”

For stronger control, practice r in different positions:

  • initial r: right, run, road
  • medial r: forest, hurry, around
  • final r: far, more, their

Minimal pair exercises can sharpen your discrimination:

  • red vs. led
  • right vs. light
  • run vs. lun 1

A useful listening test is to compare words where r changes the whole vowel environment, such as car and can, or more and mole. The English r often affects the vowel before it, which is why the mouth shape must be established early in the word.

Common R mistakes

The most frequent errors are:

  • producing a French uvular r in the throat
  • touching the palate too early, which creates a tapped or trilled sound
  • losing lip rounding, which makes the result too weak
  • adding a vowel before r, as in a hesitant “uh-r”

These errors are especially visible in words like red, green, and around, where the initial r must be clear and immediate.

A simple daily drill

A short routine of 5 to 10 minutes can be enough to build steadier pronunciation if it is repeated regularly.

  1. Start with th alone: alternate /θ/ and /ð/ ten times.
  2. Move to syllables: tha, the, thi, tho, thu.
  3. Read a short word list with th: thin, this, thought, they, three.
  4. Switch to r: red, road, rain, car, more.
  5. End with one or two full sentences:
    • “Three thousand thoughts came through thick.” 2
    • “Their mothers are breathing more than them.” 2
    • “Red roses rise rapidly.”

Short, concentrated repetition is more effective than long, unfocused drilling. Pronunciation improves faster when the ear, tongue, and voice are trained together, especially in active speaking practice rather than silent memorization.

When pronunciation starts to sound natural

Clear pronunciation usually appears first in isolated words, then in short phrases, and only later in spontaneous speech. That progression is normal. The goal is not to produce an artificial accent-free sound, but to make th and r reliably intelligible in real conversation.

The most practical benchmark is simple: if think is not mistaken for sink, this is not heard as zis, and red does not become a French-style r, the main pronunciation target is being met.

Références