Kooyeen  +  376895 Sat, 09 Jun 07 12:46 AM Hi, what happens to your tongue when you have to pronounce TH + D, N, Z, L, S, etc.? With lemon With sugar With no sugar With zeal With directions ... My book says that TH and those kinds of sounds merge and the tongue is halfway between the two correct positions (for TH the tongue is on the edge of the upper teeth, for the other sounds it touches the roof of the mouth just behind the upper teeth). So "halfway" should be "touching the back of the upper teeth"... Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,970 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts

	CalifJim  +  378273 Tue, 12 Jun 07 12:15 AM what happens to your tongue when ... It turns an ugly shade of blue-violet, twists into a figure 8, and falls off into my tea (with lemon).  In my opinion your book must be cutting these distinctions very close, because none of this 'halfway' talk rings true to me.  Unless I'm missing the point entirely, I say with the same regardless of the following sound.  It's a little more difficult before s and z, I admit, but for all practical purposes, it's always the same. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,405 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

	Kooyeen  +  378607 Tue, 12 Jun 07 06:01 PM Hi Jim, I'll post what she (the author) says: When the TH combination connects with certain sounds, te two sounds blend together to form a composite sound. In the following examples, see how the TH moves back and the L moves forwars, to meet in a new middle position. Repeat after me: th + l -with lemon        th + n - with nachos                       th + t - both times                                           th + d - with delivery      th + s - both sizes   th + z -with zeal  th + ch - both charges th + j - with juice n + th - in the z + th - was that d + th - hid those If you speak slowly, maybe you can pronounce THs and the other sounds distinctly, but at normal speed or when speaking fast (you Americans often speak fast, don't you? Well, definitely faster than Italians, I think)... I was saying, at normal speed or when speaking fast, I think something strange actually happens... Kooyeen

	nona the brit  +  378608 Tue, 12 Jun 07 06:06 PM I've been sitting here saying your list and I think I still say a normal th and 'next letter', not a blended new position, for the first part of your list. I do notice a difference in the last three though, we it is the 'other letter' followed by 'th'. Then I do seem to go for a central blend. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,713 The name says it all.

	CalifJim  +  378941 Wed, 13 Jun 07 09:50 AM If I speak fast, I seem almost to skip the th sound for the first group of examples.  This is not really very noticeable, if at all, when the following sound is l or n, however.  And for the others, I have to be speaking very fast to get the skipping effect. in the and hid those seem normal to me at all speeds.  was that becomes wuz zat if fast and sloppy. CJ CalifJim

	Kooyeen  +  379181 Wed, 13 Jun 07 07:18 PM Ok, thanks. I'll just try to speak naturally, without thinking about what I actually do... Thanks Kooyeen