The word the /ðə/ is the most frequently used word in English. If you have difficulty pronouncing the voiced th /ð/ sound correctly, you might benefit from practicing the word the in the contexts in which it occurs most frequently in English. Use the word lists and recordings below to improve the speed, accuracy and fluency of your speech.
Repeated Phrase Practice for the:
Use the recording below to hear how these phrases are spoken in running speech. Then, create your own repeated phrases with the.
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The most frequently used word in English is the. Are you pronouncing it correctly? In most contexts, we say the with a voiced th and vowel schwa: /ðə/. In a few cases, we use a voiced th and vowel ee /ði/. The rule is, use /ðə/ for all contexts except when the next word begins with a vowel. In that case, use /ði/. So, say "the meeting," /ðə/, but "thee office," /ði/.
Like this video? Check out our S.M.A.R.T. Video Course! New to this page? You may want to start here. One of the most commonly mispronounced sounds in American English is the "th" sound. This is likely due to the fact that the “th” phonemes are rare sounds, not found in most European and Asian languages. When we do not have a sound in our own language, the natural tendency to substitute a similar sound, such as “z,” “d” or “t.” Unfortunately, this has a big impact on accent, because the “th” sound is found in 20% of the 25 words we say the most in English. The most commonly used word, “the,” begins with this sound. So when we mispronounce “th,” it is very noticeable in everyday speech. Common mispronunciations of this sound involve improper tongue placement. To make the “th” sound, the tip of the tongue needs to rest between the teeth. Try making the “th” sound by itself. First make the “quiet th,” (/θ/), as in the words “think” and “with.” Then add voicing to make voiced “th,” (/ð/), as in “that,” “them” and “those.”
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