the
1
[ stressed th ee; unstressed before a consonant th uh; unstressed before a vowel th ee ]
/ stressed ði; unstressed before a consonant ðə; unstressed before a vowel ði /
definite article
Origin of the
1
before 900; Middle English, Old English, uninflected stem of the demonstrative pronoun. See
that
pronunciation note for the
As shown above, the pronunciation of the definite article
the changes, primarily depending on whether the following sound is a consonant or a vowel. Before a consonant sound the pronunciation is
[th uh] /ðə/:
the book, the mountain
[th uh-book, th uh-moun-tn] /ðə bɒɒk, ðəˈmaʊn tn/. Before a vowel sound it is usually
[th ee] /ði/, sometimes
[th i] /ðɪ/:
the apple, the end
[th ee or th i-ap-uh l, th ee or th i-end] /ði or ðɪˈæp əl, ði or ðɪ ɛnd/. As an emphatic form (“I didn't say
a book—I said
the book.”) or a citation form (“The word
the is a definite article.”), the usual pronunciation is
[th ee] /ði/, although in both of these uses of the stressed form,
[th ee] /ði/ is often replaced by
[th uh] /ðʌ/, especially among younger speakers.
Words nearby the
Definition for the (2 of 3)
the
2
[ before a consonant th uh; before a vowel th ee ]
/ before a consonant ðə; before a vowel ði /
adverb
(used to modify an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree and to signify “in or by that,” “on that account,” “in or by so much,” or “in some or any degree”): He's been on vacation and looks the better for it.
(used in correlative constructions to modify an adjective or adverb in the comparative degree, in one instance with relative force and in the other with demonstrative force, and signifying “by how much … by so much” or “in what degree … in that degree”): the more the merrier; The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Definition for the (3 of 3)
British Dictionary definitions for the (1 of 3)
the
1
/ (stressed or emphatic ðiː, unstressed before a consonant ðə, unstressed before a vowel ðɪ) /
determiner (article)
Word Origin for the
Middle English, from Old English
thē, a demonstrative adjective that later superseded
sē (masculine singular) and
sēo, sio (feminine singular); related to Old Frisian
thi, thiu, Old High German
der, diu
British Dictionary definitions for the (2 of 3)
the
2
/ (ðə, ðɪ) /
adverb
(often foll by for)
used before comparative adjectives or adverbs for emphasis
she looks the happier for her trip
used correlatively before each of two comparative adjectives or adverbs to indicate equality
the sooner you come, the better; the more I see you, the more I love you
Word Origin for the
Old English
thī, thӯ, instrumental case of
the
1 and
that; related to Old Norse
thī, Gothic
thei