title: Th-stopping
text: # 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. |
  