Everything to know about “THE” (Part 1)

Unsurprisingly, THE is one of the most common words in the English language, and we use it all the time. This lesson will teach you everything you need to know about using “the”

1. How to pronounce “THE”

There are two ways to pronounce this word.

The first way is /ðə/, which is probably what you are more familiar with. We use the /ðə/ form when the following word starts with a consonant sound, for example:

/ðə/ = the church, the trailer

The second way is /ðiː/, which we use when the word that follows “the” starts with a vowel sound:

            /ðiː/ = the intern, the entertainer

We also use /ðiː/, for emphasis:

            You are THE /ðiː/ greatest!

It is also sometimes used while a speaker is thinking:

            I will have the /ðiː/..... salmon!

2. How to use “THE”

Let’s look at some basic rules for using “THE”

We use it:

- to talk about a noun that has already been discussed and is now known to the reader or listener.

            I just got a new sofa. The sofa is blue.

- to refer to a specific noun often used with a qualifier

            Don’t put your phone on the broken table.

- to identify a unique noun when there is only one

            The sun is out today!