MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

NHA TRANG UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

MINI PROJECT

THE COMPARISON OF THE TWO PAIRS OF SOUNDS /d/ AND /ð/,

AND THE PROPER PRONUNCIATION APPROACH

Instructor: Nguyen Thi Thien Ly, M.A

Course: Phonetics and Phonology

Class: 62.NNA-4

Presented by: 1. Lê Hoàng Mỹ Duyên – 62133628

2. Lê Phương Thùy – 62132159

3. Phan Khánh Nguyên – 62131348

4. Trương Ngọc Xuân Như – 61133139

5. Nguyễn Đức Tú – 62134433

6. Nguyễn Hồ Minh Phúc – 62139005

Khánh Hòa - 2022

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................3

LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................5

1. RATIONALE ..............................................................................................................5

2. LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................................................................................5

CONTENT ..........................................................................................................................6

1. PHONETIC ANALYSIS............................................................................................ 6

1.1 /d/ sound is a voiced alveolar plosive ....................................................................6

1.2 /ð/ sound is a voiced dental fricative .....................................................................7

2. COMPARISON ..........................................................................................................8

2.1 Similarities .............................................................................................................8

2.2 Differences .............................................................................................................8

3. DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................9

3.1 Evidence of errors ..................................................................................................9

3.2 Plausible explanations for the flaws ....................................................................10

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................12

1. SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................12

2. SUGGESTION .........................................................................................................12

REFERENCES .................................................................................................................14
 LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1. Examples of the /d/ sound taken from our dubbed video ............................. 6

Table 1.2. Examples of the /ð/ sound taken from our dubbed video ............................. 7

Table 2.2. The difference between the sound pairs /d/ and /ð/ .......................................8

Table 3.1. Comparison between proper and incorrect pronunciations in the dubbed
video. ...................................................................................................................................9
 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1. The mouth position for /d/ sound ..................................................................6

Figure1.2. The mouth position for /d/ sound ...................................................................7

Figure 3.2. Two primary factors determining the pronunciation of /ð/ and /d/ .........10
 INTRODUCTION

1. RATIONALE
According to HiĢmanoğlu (2009, p. 1697) ‘Pronunciation is a significant part of
foreign language teaching‘‘, since having good pronunciation is one of the most
extensions of effectiveness in teaching and learning foreign languages. Nevertheless,
since pronunciation mistakes affect the learners' speech fluency and affect them from
speaking English as native speakers do, they may be an obstacle for students who are
trying to learn a foreign language or second language. The terms phonetics and
phonology, which are widely used in study and instruction on pronunciation, appear to
be closely connected to one another. Over the years, several phonetic alphabets have
been created to represent speech sounds in numerous languages. As a result, it is
impossible to avoid misunderstanding while identifying and pronouncing certain
phonetic alphabets, such as /d/ and /ð/. Therefore, we produced this mini-project to
clarify the distinction between the sounds /d/ and /ð/ and to show how to pronounce
them correctly.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The consonant sounds /d/ and /ð/ are voiced sounds where the tongue's position is
significant. However, while /d/ is a plosive sound, /ð/ is a fricative sound. Both beginning
and advanced English learners frequently mix up the consonants /d/ and /ð/.
Mispronouncing these two sounds has led to several incidents of confusion in
communication. This article will look at the distinction between /d/ and /ð/ in pronunciation,
and then guide you through how to pronounce them accurately.
 CONTENT

1. PHONETIC ANALYSIS
1.1 /d/ sound is a voiced alveolar plosive

Figure 1.1. The mouth position for /d/ sound

Sound description:

 The /d/ sound is voiced, as a result, to produce this sound, your vocal cords vibrate
and the sound you make comes from this vibration combined with the movement of
air through your mouth.

 The /d/ sound is also considered a 'voiced alveolar stop', that is the reason why you
stop the airflow between your tongue and the ridge behind your teeth.

 It is defined by the movements of your tongue, placing the tip of your tongue on the
little ridge on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth.

 Then release the pressure by pulling the tongue back into your mouth, allowing air
to rush through your mouth while voicing out.

Timestamp Word Pronunciation

1:19 double /ˈdʌbl/

1:40 made /meɪd/

2:21 dancing /ˈdænsɪŋ/

Table 1.1. Examples of the /d/ sound taken from our dubbed video
1.2 /ð/ sound is a voiced dental fricative

Figure1.2. The mouth position for /d/ sound

Sound description:

 The /ð/ is called the ‘Voiced dental fricative’ which means that you create friction
between the tongue and top teeth. Vibrate your vocal chords to make the sound.

 To produce the sound you have to place the tip of your tongue between your upper
and lower teeth, sticking out your tongue a little. Push air out of your mouth between
your tongue and your teeth. You should feel some friction (resistance).

 For some people who are not used to it, this may feel a little unusual. However, it is
essential to produce the sound correctly. Put your top teeth on your tongue and voice
out while pushing air out between your teeth.

Timestamp Word Pronunciation

0:28 leather /ˈleðə(r)/

0:45 then /ðen/

1:12 these /ðiːz/

Table 1.2. Examples of the /ð/ sound taken from our dubbed video
2. COMPARISON
2.1 Similarities

Both sounds are voiced—they are created with vocal fold vibration in the throat.
2.2 Differences

/d/ /ð/

Manner of Plosives Fricative

articulation To create the /d/, air is briefly Created by touching the tip of the
prevented from leaving the vocal tongue to the back of your upper
tract when the tip of the tongue teeth. As you say the sound, allow
presses against the tooth ridge a continuous air stream to flow
while the sides of the tongue press around the sides of the tongue and
against the upper side teeth. The out of your mouth as you say the
sound is aspirated when the air is sound.
released.

Place of Alveolar (or ‘behind teeth’) Interdental (or ‘between teeth’)

articulation The tip and blade of the tongue are The tongue articulates with the
in contact with the alveolar ridge teeth

Table 2.2. The difference between the sound pairs /d/ and /ð/

For example, in the video ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker’ that we have recorded:
The word ‘them’ /ðem/ (0:35) and ‘made’ /meɪd/ (0:55): /ð/ appears at the beginning of the
first word and /d/ appears at the end of the second word. Obviously, to create /d/, the tip of
the tongue presses against the tooth ridge, and to create /ð/, we touch the tip of the tongue
to the back of your upper teeth.
3. DISCUSSION
In the first half of the discussion, the article identifies various mispronunciations of
the pair /d/ and /ð/ that emerge throughout the dubbed video of students from Group 3 of
Class 62NNA-4, Phonetics and Phonology, Nha Trang University. The suggestion in the
second section of the discussion attempts to provide plausible explanations for the phonetic
flaws.
3.1 Evidence of errors
The phonetic mistakes made by the students in the dubbed video are summarized in
a tabular form following. Notice how the proper and incorrect pronunciations are bolded
and placed next to each other for comparison.

No Time stamp Word Proper pronunciation Incorrect pronunciation

1 00:13 there /ðeər/ /deər/

2 00:24 the /ðə/ /də/

3 00:29 leather /ˈleð.ər/ /ˈled.ər/

4 00:34 them /ðem/ /dem/

5 00:45 then /ðen/ /den/

6 01:02 this /ðɪs/ /dɪs/

7 01:12 these /ðɪ:z/ /dɪ:z/

8 02:24 their /ðeər/ /deər/

9 02:45 they /ðeɪ/ /deɪ/

10 03:36 other /ˈʌð.ər/ /ˈʌd.ər/

Table 3.1. Comparison between proper and incorrect pronunciations in the dubbed
video.
3.2 Plausible explanations for the flaws
The article suggests several probable factors that impact student pronunciation
while pronouncing the duo /d/ and /ð/ in the next section. These include personal
observations on the aspects inherent in native Vietnamese speakers that influence English
language learning.
According to a survey of 115 students (Bui, 2016), the two primary factors
determining the pronunciation of /ð/ and /d/ are “The articulation of the sound /ð/ is peculiar
and complicated” and “Under the influence of Vietnamese”.

Figure 3.2. Two primary factors determining the pronunciation of /ð/ and /d/
→ The articulation of the sound /ð/ is peculiar and complicated
Because the English sound /ð/ does not exist in Vietnamese, many learners found it
challenging to adapt to the way it was pronounced. Furthermore, the method to articulate
/ð/ is entirely different from the way pronounce Vietnamese sounds. It is formidable for
Vietnamese students to bring the tip of their tongue between their teeth when uttering the
sound /ð/. Accordingly, some of them find it more convenient to enunciate this sound by
placing the tongue tip on the back of the teeth, which makes them sound more like /d/
instead of /ð/. This pronunciation is challenging for Vietnamese students not just because
this sound does not exist in Vietnamese, but also because students seldom practice this
sound every day. Hence, when they speak, they tend to forget or neglect the position of the
tip of the tongue, which affects the sound.
 On the other hand, as previously stated, the /d/ sound is less likely to be
mispronounced since it is relatively straightforward for Vietnamese students to articulate,
as well as for another reason that will be discussed later.
→ Under the influence of Vietnamese
The /d/ sound in English has the same enunciation as the letter đ/ Đ in the
Vietnamese alphabet. Consequently, when pronouncing /d/ in English, students frequently
encounter little or no blunders in this sound; nonetheless, they will continue to enunciate
/d/ instead of /ð/ because it is easier and more analogous to Vietnamese. For instance, the
word weather /ˈweðər/ may be said as /ˈweɗər/ or /ˈweɗə/ by Vietnamese students.
Although the /d/ sound is rarely mispronounced, it is quite the opposite in the case of the
/d/ sound in the final position. The sound /d/ at the end of a word does not exist in
Vietnamese. Furthermore, Vietnamese people are not accustomed to pronouncing the last
sound. Thus, in the 01:40 dubbed video, the student uttered /meɪ/ instead of /meid/.
 CONCLUSION

1. SUMMARY
There are three main parts in our project. First, in the introductory part we introduce
the problem, we have given the importance of "correct pronunciation" in communication
in English. There are numerous people learning and using English in the world, but some
of them still make mistakes in pronouncing it. If we pronounce the sound correctly, we will
avoid misapprehending the listener and ensure that our listening skills are more precise,
particularly the sounds/d/ and/ð/ in English. The second part is the content section, which
includes the main goals of the project. There are two major items in this section. They are
phonetic analysis and discussion. The analysis is the section that contains sound
descriptions and comparisons. It is about the theory of sounds /d/ and /ð/, images to
demonstrate and describe how we pronounce them properly. We compared the differences
of /d/ and /ð/ and gave specific examples to compare the sound /d/ because they are both
voiced consonants, and /ð/ sound does not exist in Vietnamese language. Therefore, some
Vietnamese learners feel rather complex in pronunciation. Finally, we have summarized
the project's content in the concluding section, and offered solutions and some methods to
help you pronounce the /d/ and /ð/ sounds more perfectly.

2. SUGGESTION
It is vital to implement the following suggestions for this mini-project. We should
further pay attention to the reason why students are in trouble with learning pronunciation
and evoke students’ interests. It is expected that those suggestions will help learners find
appropriate methods for their studies in the future.

In order to effectively instruct learners how to pronounce the /ð/ sound

properly, teachers should advise the learners to let the tongue tip between the
teeth. Because the / ð/ sound is a voiced sound, they need to put the tip of the tongue
between the upper and lower teeth, then push air out of the mouth between the tongue and
the teeth. The important stage is to vibrate our vocal cords. Moreover, they need to hold
their lips without moving them up or down. Besides, when pronouncing the /d/ sound,
learners should pay attention to place the tip of the tongue on the little ridge on the roof of
their mouth just behind their front teeth, then release the tongue, allowing air to rush
through their mouth. The /d/ sound is a voiced consonant as the /ð/ sound also, so we
remember to vibrate the vocal cords and combine them with the movement of the air
through the mouth.
 REFERENCES
[1] Hoang, C. B., Le, C. H. H., Nguyen, T. T. L. (2019) English Phonetics and
Phonology. NTU
[2] Pronounce /d/ sound — Pronuncian: American English Pronunciation. Pronuncian:
American English Pronunciation. (2022). Retrieved 13 October 2022, from
https://pronuncian.com/pronounce-d-sound.
[3] Munro, C. (2022). d Sound: How to Pronounce the Consonant d (/d/ Phoneme).
English Language Club. Retrieved 13 October 2022, from
https://www.englishlanguageclub.co.uk/d-sound/.
[4] George, K. (2022). How to Teach the D Sound by Chicago Speech Therapy - Chicago
Speech Therapy. Chicagospeechtherapy.com. Retrieved 13 October 2022, from
https://chicagospeechtherapy.com/how-to-teach-the-d-sound-by-chicago-speech-therapy
[5] Munro, C. (2022). ð Sound: How to pronounce the ð sound (/ð/ Phoneme). English
Language Club. Retrieved 13 October 2022, from
https://www.englishlanguageclub.co.uk/th-sound/.
[6] Lillet, A., & Lillet, A. (2022). 1: The English 'th sounds' /θ, ð/ — Pronuncian:
American English Pronunciation. Pronuncian: American English Pronunciation.
Retrieved 13 October 2022, from https://pronuncian.com/podcasts/episode
[7] (2022). Retrieved 13 October 2022, from https://tfcs.baruch.cuny.edu/d
[8] Ly, C. (2020). The problem of pronouncing the English th sounds /θ/ and /ð/ of
Vietnamese learners [Ebook] (p. 183). Ly Cong Khanh. Retrieved 13 October 2022, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352245663_The_problem_of_pronouncing_the
_English_th_sounds_th_and_d_of_Vietnamese_learners.
[9] Bui, T. (2016). Pronunciation of consonants /ð/ and /θ/ by adult Vietnamese EFL
learners [Ebook] (pp. 128-131). Bui Thien Sao. Retrieved 13 October 2022, from
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