When to say “thee” (/ðiː/) and “thuh” (/ðə/)
Short rule: use /ðiː/ (thee) before words that begin with a vowel sound. Use /ðə/ (thuh) before words that begin with a consonant sound. Emphasize with /ðiː/ when you want to stress “the.”
/ðiː/ — “thee” (before vowel sounds)
Use this to link smoothly into a following vowel sound. The vowel sound matters more than the first letter.
- the apple — /ðiː ˈæpəl/
- the end — /ðiː end/
- the hour — /ðiː aʊər/ (silent h → vowel sound)
- the honour — /ðiː ˈɒnər/
/ðə/ — “thuh” (before consonant sounds)
Use /ðə/ when the next word begins with a consonant sound — even if it begins with a vowel letter that sounds like a consonant.
- the cat — /ðə kæt/
- the book — /ðə bʊk/
- the university — /ðə juːnɪˈvɜːsɪti/ (starts with /j/ sound)
- the one — /ðə wʌn/ (starts with /w/ sound)
Emphasis and exceptions
You can use /ðiː/ for emphasis before a consonant: He is thee expert. Also, spelling is not the guide — listen for the sound: “honest” → vowel sound; “university” → consonant (/j/).
Practice (click to reveal)
- the egg
Pronounce as /ðiː/: the egg → /ðiː ˈeɡ/
- the hotel
Pronounce as /ðə/ if you pronounce the h: the hotel → /ðə həʊˈtɛl/; but if h is silent (rare) use /ðiː/.
- the honour
Pronounce as /ðiː/: the honour → /ðiː ˈɒnə/ (h is silent).
- the university
Pronounce as /ðə/: the university → /ðə juːnɪˈvɜːsɪti/ (/j/ consonant sound).
- the hour
Pronounce as /ðiː/: the hour → /ðiː aʊər/ (silent h).
Quick reference table
| Next sound | Pronounce “the” as | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u or vowel phoneme) | /ðiː/ (thee) | the apple → /ðiː ˈæpəl/ |
| Consonant sound (including y /j/ or w /w/) | /ðə/ (thuh) | the university → /ðə juːnɪˈvɜːsɪti/ |
| Emphasis | /ðiː/ (thee) | She is thee leader. |