2.18: The Consonant Sounds [h] and [th]

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Consonant Sounds [h] and [th]

Usually [h] is spelled <h>, and sometimes <wh>. The sound [th] is always spelled <th>.

Examples

You can hear the sound [h] at the beginning of help.

You can hear the sound [th] at the beginning of thing.

Review

Underline the letters that spell [h] in the following words.
\begin{align*}
& \text{who} && \text{anyhow} && \text{have} && \text{whom}\\
& \text{behind} && \text{whole} && \text{helicopter} && \text{height}\\
& \text{ahead} && \text{perhaps} && \text{whose} && \text{heard}
\end{align*}
The sound [h] is spelled ___________ in eight of the words.
It is spelled _________________ in four of the words.

Sort the words into these two groups:

Words with [h] spelled...
<h>		<wh>

Two ways to spell [h] are ___________ and __________.
Underline the letters in the words below that spell [th]. Be careful! Some of the words do not contain [th] — and so in these words you should not underline any letters:
\begin{align*}
& \text{something} && \text{earth} && \text{thirty} && \text{through}\\
& \text{thank} && \text{lighthouse} && \text{breath} && \text{thin}\\
& \text{light} && \text{thought} && \text{church} && \text{fifth}\\
& \text{short} && \text{often} && \text{white} && \text{hothead}
\end{align*}

Sort the words into these groups:

Words with...
[th]	no [th]

The two words with <th> but not [th] are ____________ and ___________.
How many ways did you find to spell [th]? _____________
The sound [th] is always spelled ___________.

Show Answer

\begin{align*}
& w\underline{h}o && any\underline{h}ow && \underline{h}ave && w\underline{h}om \\
& be\underline{h}ind && w\underline{h}ole && \underline{h}elicopter && \underline{h}eig\underline{h}t \\
& a\underline{h}ead && per\underline{h}aps && w\underline{h}ose && \underline{h}eard
\end{align*}
The sound [h] is spelled <h> in eight of the words.
It is spelled <wh> in four of the words.

Words with [h] spelled ...
<h>		<wh>
behind	have	who
ahead	helicopter	whole
anyhow	height	whose
perhaps	heard	whom

Two ways to spell [h] are <h> and <wh>.
\begin{align*}
& some\underline{th}ing && ear\underline{th} && \underline{th}irty && \underline{th}rough \\
& \underline{th}ank && ligh\underline{th}ouse && brea\underline{th} && \underline{th}in \\
& light && \underline{th}ought && church && fif\underline{th} \\
& short && often && white && ho\underline{th}ead
\end{align*}