• Limfjorden@feddit.dk
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    2 months ago

    “The” does have two pronunciations depending on if the word after it starts with a vovel sound or not. It’s “Thuh” for consonants and “Thee” for vowels.

      • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
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        2 months ago

        It’s both things, and subjected to wide variation:

        - Stressed Unstressed
        Prevocalic /ði:/ /ði/, /ðɪ/, /ð/
        Preconsonantal /ði:/, /ðʌ/ /ðə/

        Source for those pronunciations, Wiktionary.

        To complicate it further some varieties merge /ʌ/ and /ə/, or /ɪ/ and /ə/. And I’m not even taking into account varieties using a different consonant, /t θ d f v/.

        • Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de
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          2 months ago

          Ohh nice, that table helps. I felt like something was off about people sometimes using more /ði:/ than what I was taught!

      • untorquer@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Please, i don’t want to be self aware of my accent in my first language.

        Also the two pronunciations of “the” noted above are different mouth shapes. “Uh” un butt versus “ee” in jeep.