Pronunciation Reduction The

The apples look delicious.

One of the most commonly used words is the article the. It is easy to understand the various ways to pronounce the based on its location to other words in the sentence. Keep in mind that the is a function word. Function words usually do not receive the stress in a sentence, and instead the content words receive the stress. In most cases the will not receive the stress, and any content words following the will receive the stress.

The With Schwa Sound

The first way to pronounce the is with the voiced th, followed by the schwa sound. This pronunciation is used if the is followed by a consonant sound. Remember, it is a consonant sound, and not the spelling that matters. Here are a few examples of the with a schwa sound when followed by a consonant sound:

• The first one.
• The last one.
• The second piece.
• The black dog.
• The one and only.
• The extra one.

As stated, it is the sound that matters, not the spelling. One has a w sound and is considered a consonant sound. The same thing with the x sound for extra.

The With Short E Sound

The second way to pronounce the is with the voiced th, followed by a short e sound. This pronunciation is used if the is followed by a vowel sound. The e sound is short and sounds like the e in he. Here are a few examples of the with a short e sound when followed by a vowel sound:

• The apple.
• The egg.
• The ant.
• The ox.
• The axe.

Exceptions The Stressed

As stated, the is a function word, so it usually does not receive stress. An exception to this is when it is used for correction. A second is when it is used to emphasize a point. Here are a few examples where the receives stress in the sentence:

• That is the one. No, that is not the one. (Correction)
• That is the only one I want. (Emphasize)