When teaching your child to read, how do you pronounce "the"?

[JudoMom]

Dh & I have a debate going on. When teaching your child to read, do you teach them to pronounce "the" as "thee" or "thuh"? I'm just wondering who's crazy here :D.

[Rhondabee]

Pronouce "Thee" if the next word begins with a vowel-sound (this would include words like hour that don't technically begin with a vowel)

Pronouce "thuh" if the next word begins with a consonant sound

At least that's what I learned years ago -hth

[Moni]

thuh consonant
thee vowel

depends on what sound (not letter) the next word begins wiht :)

[Rhondabee]

Great minds think alike! =)

(Sorry, I hate using my mouse when typing!!!!!)

Anyway, just wanted to say "Hi!" Hadn't talked to you in so long. Wishing you all the best!

[Janie]

I always taught mine to pronounce "the" as "thee." When their speech developed, they naturally switched back and forth between "thee" and "thuh" depending on whether the word following began with a vowel or not.

When I hear my sixth graders read aloud, many of the public school educated ones say "thuh" for everything. It drives me batty.

[Myrtle]

Pronouce "Thee" if the next word begins with a vowel-sound (this would include words like hour that don't technically begin with a vowel)

Pronouce "thuh" if the next word begins with a consonant sound

At least that's what I learned years ago -hth

Yes, and in slow spoken English glottal stops are unconsciously inserted before words that being with vowels which ends up making all the words begin with consonants. :-p

You say tomah-to, I say ?apple. (http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/04/23/the-glottal-stop-your-new-phonetic-phriend/)

I'll have to listen to whoever is reading the news on the radio this afternoon to pay attention to what they do with "the". (NPR-speak is what I think of when I think standard English. )

[LizzyBee]

Thee before words that begin with a vowel sound.
Thuh before words that begin with a consonant sound.

[DKinTX]

Pronouce "Thee" if the next word begins with a vowel-sound (this would include words like hour that don't technically begin with a vowel)

Pronouce "thuh" if the next word begins with a consonant sound

At least that's what I learned years ago -hth

Yes...I voted Thuh but I use thee before vowel sounds.

[Tonia]

I never thought about it and just introduced it as "thuh". Now you've made me think and I will have to teach her the other pronunciation too!

[Janna]

Since I'm teaching my little guy to read by spelling first, he is learning it as "thee" because the e is saying it's name at the end of the syllable. However, I have told him that sometimes we say "thuh".

Can you tell I'm a Spell to Write and Read user? :)

[Andie]

Ditto - the/consonant thee/vowel

Kin we git a "both" option in that poll? ;)

[HomeOnTheRanch]

This is my "new thing" for the day. I've NEVER heard of this rule before. It makes sense, and I guess I do talk this way, but I've never heard of a rule. Maybe this was covered a day I was home sick from school?

[nancypants]

I voted "thuh" but really, it depends on the contest. If it says, "The End" it's "thuh" but if it says "She went to the store," it's "thuh." :o

[Kathie in VA]

I taught both ways. I never knew there was a rule on which one to use! I just said that it could be pronounced either way... whichever way sounded right.

[LaMere Academy]

thuh

[Karen in CO]

Pronouce "Thee" if the next word begins with a vowel-sound (this would include words like hour that don't technically begin with a vowel)

Pronouce "thuh" if the next word begins with a consonant sound

At least that's what I learned years ago -hth
I voted Other because this is what I was taught years ago also. So I taught my dc both.

[ThriceBlessed]

This is my "new thing" for the day. I've NEVER heard of this rule before. It makes sense, and I guess I do talk this way, but I've never heard of a rule. Maybe this was covered a day I was home sick from school?

:rolleyes: Whew! Now I don't feel like I am the *only* one who didn't know this rule :p

In fact, my oldest daughter asked me this question earlier today...and I now have an answer for her:)

Blessings,
Trishe

[Peek a Boo]

Since I'm teaching my little guy to read by spelling first, he is learning it as "thee" because the e is saying it's name at the end of the syllable. However, I have told him that sometimes we say "thuh".

Can you tell I'm a Spell to Write and Read user? :)

That's the way i do it too--even before I got my hands on SWR :-)

[DIY-DY]

:rolleyes: Whew! Now I don't feel like I am the *only* one who didn't know this rule :p

In fact, my oldest daughter asked me this question earlier today...and I now have an answer for her:)

Blessings,
Trishe

Oh, no, you're not the only one! I grew up thinking English was a language of mostly exceptions to a few weird rules. Imagine my amazement to learn there are actual rules that many of the "exceptions" I'd been taught actually follow!

It's been three years now that I've used WRTR, and I'm still internalizing the rules. At least once every few months, I have a V-8 moment, and get all tickled at myself over it. Thankfully, the kids think this is normal, and DH is usually as surprised as I am when I share the rule with him.

[stephanie]

Yikes! I've done a great injustice to my dc! I've always told them it's thee or thuh, but I've never been told of any rules! Where have I been? I've always figured that it was our southern roots that caused us to say thuh- kind of a lazy speech if ya KWIM? Nice. I've just added a new lesson for tomorrow!