As a foreign speaker of English, do you say, “I sink” instead of “I think?”
This consonantal switch is common among non-native English speakers.
Many English learners know that “I sink” literally means, “I am going under water”(like the Titanic); but that is not enough to change.
Substituting a familiar “s” for an awkward “th” is seemingly irresistible among English learners.
The trouble is, we use “I think” a lot in English: “I think the meeting’s at 2 pm.” “I think I’ll get some coffee.” “I think that’s right.” Etcetera.
Sentences with “s” substitutions can suddenly sound like s-s-s-s, or like a radio that needs finer tuning.
“I sink sat” or “I sought sat” or “I sink we sought sat se session was at six.” That is, “I think that;” “I thought that;” or “I think we thought that the session was at six.”
The real reason to master saying THINK, though, is to sound clear and to communicate with elegance. Saying the “th” in “think” is a start.
Many of my students enjoy practicing the TH-sound in this YouTube video by Dave Sconda: https://lnkd.in/gaupVVr
When you take the time to say “think,” your tongue will adapt. With practice, a “th” sound can become natural.
When you say “I think” (with TH), that effort tells your brain that you are speaking English.
In addition, you have unconsciously positioned your mouth and tongue to make the next English sound correctly, and the ones that follow — a type of linguistic Domino effect.
Once you conquer the “th” sound, you’ll know that you can do anything (not “anySING”) you put your mind to.
