This week in my accent reduction classes two students asked me how to pronounce the word "the". That is a great question and in this article I will explain the different pronunciations of that word.

As everyone knows, one of the most common words in English is the article "the". This word is used in almost every sentence. That means that pronouncing it correctly will make your American English pronunciation sound much more natural.

Rule 1
In spoken American English the article "the" begins with the voiced "th" consonant sound. To make the voiced "th" sound you must place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. When you push the air through your throat your vocal chords should vibrate.

The vowel sound in "the" changes according to the first sound in the following word.

Rule 2
When "the" is followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound the "e" has sounds like /iy/.

the answer
the egg
the old man
the ugly house

Practice saying these sentences by voicing the "th" and using /iy/ for the vowel sound.

1. Please tell me the answer!
2. The eggs cost $1.29 a dozen.
3. I sat by the old man on the airplane.
4. The ugly house is very cheap.

Rule 3
When "the" is followed by a word beginning with a consonant sound the "e" has the schwa or "uh" sound.

the book
the cat
the video
the table

Practice saying these sentences by voicing the "th" and using the schwa or "uh" for the vowel sound.

1. I read every chapter of the book.
2. The cats run wild in Rome.
3. Did you return the video?
4. Put the drinks on the table.

Remember, since the word "the" is used so frequently in spoken English pronouncing it correctly will help you improve your American English pronunciation and reduce your accent.

Susan Ryan is an American English pronunciation and accent reduction instructor in Washington, D.C. Visit her blog to find lots of American English Pronunciation & Accent Reduction tips http://www.confidentvoice.com/blog and exercises.

Are you ready to start reducing your accent today? Then join the thousands of students from around the world who have taken her free Accent Reduction e-course http://accent-reduction.confidentvoice.com/. It's absolutely free so you have nothing to lose except your accent!