I have just been wondering if you guys place the tip of your tongue on the tip of your front teeth or behind them, when pronouncing the th sound. In other words, can the tip of your tongue be seen by another person (or when you are standing in front of a mirror) when you pronounce th? Does it stick out basically?

I am asking this, as I have seen either way claimed to the right one. So which one to go for? Where exactly do you put your tongue tip? Thx

Do you mean the voiced or unvoiced TH? In either case I stick my tongue out (not half a tongue as I've seen so many natives do). Sometimes, usually when I speak really fast, it happens that I don't actually stick it out though (and so it sounds more like D or T respectively). But I hate when I do that. 

Thing is, I have seen a good many videos and read a few articles on this and in some cases they were literally sticking half the tongue out and in some the tongue was pretty much behind your front teeth, not protruding at all.

So I just wonder how to do this right. I mean it's such a basic English sound that I want to get it as right as possible!

I personally put just like 2 millimeters of my tongue on the top of my front teeth. But hey, that's just me… What about you guys?

I follow Marek's pictures and explanation here: 

In my opinion, a lot of videos just try to be absolutely clear about the position of the tongue and let it poke out more than necessary.

Yeah, I follow Mark's way as well. But I have checked out some vids on this thing on youtube and read some articles, some of which were placing a tongue a bit differently. So just wondering…

I am aware that there is another way to place your tongue but I have never taken the trouble to find out more about it.This one is the traditional one.

Actually, I remember reading in an old text-book this way is not the “proper one” and (if I remember well) the right way is just to touch the teeth from inside your mouth or something like that. 

I have been messing around trying various ways as to where to place your tongue. I haven't heard much of a difference whether the tongue was sticking out or whether is was located behind your teeth. I guess as long as you don't pronounce th like f or s, you are good. 

Well, personally I think this question is like asking how much you should open your mouth for / /. Two centimeters? Two and a half? 2.1?

There are no strict rules. Everybody will pronounce it slightly differently, in different situations it will be different, when you're speaking slowly it will be different, when you're speaking fast it will be different, it will be different if it's at the beginning of a word or in the middle… etc.

The important thing is – the tongue HAS TO TOUCH THE TEETH, because it's a DENTAL SOUND. We touch the bottom of the upper teeth so when you're looking at yourself in the mirror you can actually see the tip of your tongue.

What intrigues me, though… is why some native speakers, especially pop singers, pronounce the L sound exactly the same way – with the tongue sticking out.

Maybe they teach that in ‘Popwarts’, the school for pop starlets. 

But that doesn't belong in this thread.

I've never thought of this but now you've mentioned it… they really do that and that's why it sounds like… slime (?)
I've got to keep that in mind when trying to imitate them. 

I know this is an old post but I'm a noob and was having a good snoop around! I wrote this article a couple of weeks ago and in it explained that you don't need to (and in my opinion shouldn't) stick your tongue far out because the sound looses clarity (it doesn't sound as clean). Just the tip slightly between your teeth is enough. Hope it helps, apologies for my lateness!

An interesting and useful website. As a new registered person, you do not have to apologise, you are just discovering.. 

English native speakers are always welcome here.