How to Pronounce 'The' in English

English has two different pronunciations of the word "the" (but they mean the same thing).

The Two Pronunciations:

One pronunciation is /ðə/ (it has the same vowel you hear at the very end of "ballerina").

The other pronunciation is /ði/ (it has the same vowel you hear in "tree").

When to Use Each One:

The pronunciation of the word "the" depends on the first sound of the word that comes immediately after it.

When the word after "the" begins with a consonant sound, people usually use /ðə/. When the word after "the" begins with a vowel sound, people usually use /ði/. Below are examples of how each pronunciation is typically used.

In each of the examples below, /ðə/ is usually used because the word after "the" begins with a consonant sound:

• We liked the movie very much.
• The parents enjoyed the children's school play.
• Each of the seven flowering trees had bloomed.
• They were the first people to arrive at the convention.

In each of the examples below, /ði/ is usually used because the word after "the" begins with a vowel sound:

• He reached the end of the trail and had to turn around.
• The indecisiveness of the employees made work difficult.
• We listened to the new song for the eighth time before switching to something else.
• He painted the apple in an abstract style.

I hope this helps.