I'm always curious why sometimes I pronounce the as /ðə/ ("thuh") and sometimes as /ði/ ("thee"). I don't really know what governs this but I expect it's the presence of a vowel at the start of the following word. However, only some vowels. Does anyone have an answer?
My experience is that "thuh" is basically a lazy / informal pronunciation of that word.
But it's also by far the most common pronunciation. "Thee" would sound strangely hyper-formal, at least in my circles.
Edit: the sibling comment (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49770609">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49770609) also rings true to me.
throwawayk7h · · focus · HN ↗
CoastalCoder · · focus · HN ↗
My experience is that "thuh" is basically a lazy / informal pronunciation of that word.
But it's also by far the most common pronunciation. "Thee" would sound strangely hyper-formal, at least in my circles.
Edit: the sibling comment (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49770609">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49770609) also rings true to me.