http://www.englishforums.com/English/EnglishAudioSpeechPronunciation/Forum22.htmBritish, American, Scottish accent or using super-fantastic-high-tech software, we'll help you with pronunciation.enXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#939955Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:22:16 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:939955Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#939955http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-939955.xmlThis is a pet peeve of mine. I hear more and more on the radio, in television and film the lack of proper pronunciation of the word "the" when it precedes a word beginning with a vowel sound. The result of saying "the" with a schwa ending before a vowel sound is a very awkward sounding combination without flow. To me it sounds like the speaker has a distinct lack of intelligence. DPhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#920169Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:46:30 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:920169Mister Micawber1http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#920169http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-920169.xmlwhen U is pronounced as "you", then the consonant rule applies, and when the U sounds like "uh", then the vowel rule applies. That is right. It is an observation of sound change in word flow, not a rule of grammar.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#920083Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:54:52 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:920083Anonymous2http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#920083http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-920083.xmlWhat about The United States (of America)? Thuh or Thee? Some say that when U is pronounced as "you", then the consonant rule applies, and when the U sounds like "uh", then the vowel rule applies. Is this a grammatical rule, or a regional variation, or a misunderstanding?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#916304Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:16:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:916304Anonymous3http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#916304http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-916304.xmlThe pronouciation of "the" depends on if it preceeds a vowel or a consonant. You say "thee" in front of vowels and thuh in front of consonants. You never EVER say thuh in front of a vowel sound! So it is: The apple is pronounced "Thee a pple" The question is pronounced "Thuh q uestion"... Thee e xample Thuh m achine Thee u mbrella Thuh t ablehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#787727Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:22:41 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:787727Anonymous4http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#787727http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-787727.xmlIf you look in a dictionary: the 1 play_w2("T0146800") ( before a vowel; before a consonant ) Or, "thee" before a vowel and "thuh" before a consonant. It's not a rule we learn in school, but it's something we seem to "absorb". The reason for the different pronunciation is so that the language flows more smoothly. French does that a lot! For example, les tables (don't hear the "s"), but les enfants (you hear the "s" as a "z" sound to make it not hiccup!)...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#760391Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:40:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:760391Anonymous5http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#760391http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-760391.xmlyes,for example when Bush was telling is speech he was saying di government as if the government has in front a vocal ..http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#709049Fri, 01 May 2009 01:38:48 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:709049Anonymous6http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#709049http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-709049.xmlYou're right. "The" would be pronounced "thee" in those examples. The other responders didn't understand your use of "Di" (and neither do I - probably a typo).http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#684600Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:38:24 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:684600Anonymous7http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/2/cwnxp/Post.htm#684600http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-684600.xmlThis is incorrect. According to the British, the word, "the" certainly has two pronunciation, it has nothing to do with ESL speakers!http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#593810Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:593810Anonymous8http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#593810http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-593810.xmlActually you are all correct. It depends on what part of the country you are from as to what dialect you speak. This is how it works in any language and not just English. "The" can be pronounced as "thE" with the E making the sound of the letter itself as if you were saying the alphabet. "The" has a tendency to also be pronounced as "thuh" where the "e" is pronounced as "uh." You will sometimes also here individuals pronounce "th" as "d." Therefore, the word will either sound like "de" where the "d" is pronounced like the first d in "dad" and the "e" is pronounced as "E" as in the alphabet. I have also heard...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#577440Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:577440Anonymous9http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#577440http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-577440.xmlWhere do you live? Here in Oregon it seems to be very common to use "thuh" before vowel sounds. Teevision news readers, who in most areas are expected to be exemplars of correct, or at least locally accepted, pronunciation, here routinely say "thuh officers of thuh organization held thuh election." Brrr!!! I was not raised here and it strikes my ear as discordant and backwoodsy. I presume it is a regional phenomenon and I would like to know more about its distribution and history. Does anyone have any observations to make about this?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#544787Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:544787sumryan10http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#544787http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-544787.xmlThe word 'the' has the voiced /th/ sound. Before consonants the vowel has a schwa sound so 'the' sounds like th ə, Before vowel sounds the vowel has an /iy/ sound like th ē.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#544123Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:544123Kooyeen11http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#544123http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-544123.xmlI agree with Jim, and that's the way I pronounce "the". Thuh car, Thee eagle. However, I read somewhere that it's not always so, and something is changing. Do some people always say "thuh", even before vowel sounds? I have never heard something like that. I don't know if it's just because I never noticed it, but if that actually happens, it would sound odd to me. Anyone know anything about that?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#543435Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:543435Tanit12http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#543435http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-543435.xmlCalifJim is incorrect http://www.revver.com/video/154554/language-man-explains-the-pronunciation-of-the/ Hi, I've just watched the video you posted and couldn't find anything that contradicts what CJ wrote in his post. Could you please say what was wrong, in your opinion? Thanks.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#543163Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:543163Anonymous13http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#543163http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-543163.xmlCalifJim is incorrect http://www.revver.com/video/154554/language-man-explains-the-pronunciation-of-the/http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#211902Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:211902Nathananise14http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#211902http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-211902.xmli would like to point out that the th is always pronounced as TH, it's about placing ur tougue between your teeth ( like biting ur tongue without really biting it, lol), and blowing air out . if u say THe is Pronounced like De or DI, then i think ur probablly talking about the African American pronounication or othewise the mispronunication that ESL speakers always commit. however, it's interesting to note that in some words, the rule doesnt apply,esp name. eg. Anthony. it can be anthony or antonyhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#211878Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:211878CalifJim15http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htm#211878http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-211878.xmlThe th of the is always pronounced the same, so I don't know what you mean by D vs. TH. All six of your examples would require the same pronunciation of "the" -- the pronunciation in which the "e" is pronounced as in "we" or "he". CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htmThu, 26 Mar 2009 07:57:40 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:210356Believer16http://www.englishforums.com/English/ThePronunciationWord/cwnxp/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments22-210356.xmlI know that the word "the" is being pronounced differently based on the initial sounds of words. I know that some words take on different articles because 1) the sound "h" is not pronounced and 2) the letter "u" is being pronounced like "you." Is it safe to say that we can pronounce the word "the" in front of any words with initial vowel sounds besides the ones mentioned above with the "Di" sound and not with the "Thu" of the "Thus" sound"? Are all these being pronounced with the "Di" sound? 1) the umbrella 2) the ink 3) the hour 4) the apple 5) the end 6) the above-mentioned document