The definite article "the"
In spoken language, people pronounce the definite article "the" in two different ways:
- stressed: /ði/
- unstressed: /ðə/
Once more, look at the words that require the article "the" pronounced as /ði/. What could possibly be the rule?
You pronounce the article "the" as /ði/ in front of words that start with a vowel-sound: the apple, the evening, the eye, the example, the oak, the ears, the arm, the idea, the egg.
You pronounce the article "the" as /ðə/ in front of words that start with a consonant-sound: the car, the cat, the sword, the man, the girl, the table, the kitchen, the book, the door.
Note: the indefinite articles "a" or "an" follow the same rules.