How do you pronounce the "the" word? Hey guys, recently I get into trouble with the pronunciation of "the", when it before the letter U. For instance, "the union", should I pronounce it like thuh(ðə),

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Gene

How do you pronounce the "the" word? Hey guys, recently I get into trouble with the pronunciation of "the", when it before the letter U. For instance, "the union", should I pronounce it like thuh(ðə), or thee(ðiː )? Could you help me to figure it out? Thanks!

May 18, 2019 10:46 AM

Answers · 12

The official rules say you should pronounce it as 'thuh' when it comes before a consonant sound, which is the case in your example: 'thuh union' (notice that the 'u' is not a vowel but a consonant SOUND, as in 'university'). There is something we call 'emphatic THE' where we put more emphasis on the article and pronounce it as 'thee'. Take the following dialogue: - I saw the (thuh) president yesterday. - What? The (thee) President of the United States? That said, rules should only be taken as guidelines and, as Rhi mentioned, this seems to be a matter of personal choice.

May 18, 2019

I personally don't pronounce "the" like thee, and always say it more as thuh, but I think it comes down to personal preference. I hear people using both all the time.

May 18, 2019