Thirty-three thousand feathers on a thrush's throat
A line that opens with three voiceless TH sounds in a row and then sneaks in a voiced one. It is a full workout for the TH, and most people lose it somewhere between “thousand” and “thrush's”.
Thirty-three thousand feathers on a thrush's throat.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- Neither brother thinks the other is worth the bother.
- Thirty thirsty sailors sailed south, though the weather was rough.
- Thursday's math test was the third this month and the thirtieth this year.
- Thea's mother smoothed the thick cloth with both hands, then set the table.
- Their father thought that three months was a long time to gather the money.
- The author thought through both themes, then threw in three other thoughts.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
Where to breathe
- Thirty-three thousand feathers
- on a thrush's throat.
Two kinds of TH in one line
English has two TH sounds. The voiceless one, as in “think”, is just air between the tongue and teeth. The voiced one, as in “this”, adds a buzz. Here “thirty”, “three”, “thousand”, “thrush's” and “throat” all use the voiceless TH. “Feathers” has the voiced one in the middle. Switching for one word and then switching back is harder than it sounds.
Common slips: “firty-free”, “tirty-tree”, “sousand”, “feaders” or “fevvers”. The cluster THR in “three”, “thrush's” and “throat” is a trap of its own, because the tongue has to slide from the teeth back to the R position very fast.
“Thrush's” also ends in a SH plus a Z sound: “thrush-iz”. Under pressure this ending is swallowed and you hear “thrush throat”.
How to practice it
First, feel the two kinds of TH. Put your fingers on your throat and say “thousand”: no buzz on the TH. Say “feathers”: the buzz should be there. Go back and forth until it is automatic.
Then drill the THR words in a row: “three, thrush, throat”. Keep the tongue tip at the teeth for the TH and only then pull it back for R. If it comes out as “tree” or “free”, slow down.
Breathe after “feathers” at first. When the two halves are steady, try the whole line on one breath, three times in a row. Speed is the last step, and the TH in “throat” at the very end is your check: if it is still clear, the pace is right.
Questions about this tongue twister
- What is a thrush?
- A small songbird, often with a speckled chest, common in gardens and woods. The American robin is a kind of thrush. The tongue twister imagines the feathers on its throat, which is pure fantasy chosen for the sound.
- Why does my TH sound like F?
- Your lower lip is doing the work instead of your tongue. Keep the lip relaxed and bring the tongue tip forward to touch the edge of the upper teeth. In a mirror you should see the tongue, not the lip, on every TH.
Keep practicing
Practice with a timer
In DramaLab, the speed ladder is an exercise: it gives you tongue twisters one by one, walks you up the five steps and keeps time. No sign-up needed.