How do I know which way to pronounce the word "the?" Sometimes it is pronounced as "thee" and other times as "thuh."

Answer 1

1. There is no rule as such. You can pronounce "the" however you like. That is not the whole answer though. While it is not a grammar rule, people tend to use the "thee" version before a vowel sound and the "thuh" version before a consonant sound. Some people might tell you this is a rule, but it's not. It's just about the flow of speech.

Answer 2

The is pronounced thee in front of a vowel and thuh in front of consonants eg [thuh] book, [thee] apple.

Answer 3

In the General American English accent:

When the word "the" is followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound, "the" is pronounced as "thee."

Examples: "The average cost..." "The East Coast..." "The old house..."

When the word "the" is followed by a word beginning with a consonant, it is pronounced as "thuh." Examples: "The real cost..." "The West coast..." "The green house..."

One exception is when the speaker wants to emphasize an important thought or idea. The speaker may make the words louder, pause between them, and stretch them out. "The" would be pronounced as "thee" in this case. Examples: "This is THE...FIRST...of its kind.".