Three free throws
Three words that look simple and hide one of the most common TH problems in English. “Three” and “free” differ only in where the air is squeezed: between the tongue and teeth, or between the lip and teeth. Say the line fast and the two sounds try to become one.
Three free throws.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- The north path is smoother than the south path.
- Keith's birthday is the thirteenth of this month.
- This thing, that thing, these things, those things.
- Both athletes thought the fifth lap was the toughest.
- Neither brother thinks the other is worth the bother.
- Thirty thirsty sailors sailed south, though the weather was rough.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
Where to breathe
- Three free throws.
Why three becomes free
TH and F sound very similar, which is why many speakers, and many children, replace one with the other. For F the upper teeth rest on the lower lip. For TH the tongue tip goes to the teeth and the lip stays out of the way. In this line both sounds are followed by an R, so each word starts with a cluster: THR, FR, THR.
The usual slips are “free free throws”, “three three throws” and “three free frows”. The last word is where most people fail on the third repeat: the lips are still in the F position from “free”, and the TH never arrives.
There is a second trap in the R. After TH the tongue has to pull back fast for the R. If it is slow, you get a soft “thwee” or “thhee”.
How to learn it
Put a finger lightly on your lower lip. Say “three”: the lip should not move. Say “free”: the lip rises to the teeth. Alternate the two words slowly until your finger feels the lip move only on F.
Then add “throws” and listen for the same TH as in “three”. Say “three throws, three throws” a few times before adding “free” back in the middle.
The challenge is usually to say the line three times fast, so practice exactly that: three rounds on one breath. Start at half speed and add pace only while every TH stays a TH.
Questions about this tongue twister
- Is it wrong to say free instead of three?
- In some regional accents of English, TH often becomes F, so it is a natural feature there. But in standard American speech the two are kept apart, and a listener may hear “free” and understand a different word. For clear speech, keep them separate.
- Why practice such a short twister?
- Because it isolates one problem. In a long text a TH slip gets lost. Here there are only three words, so you hear immediately whether TH and F are different in your mouth.
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.