There is a growing trend among Americans to crucify the English language. We recognize that common conversation between friends over a drink should not be examined for the butchering that everyday talk hears. But those who make public speaking a profession should have some correctness in their speech. The biggest “mystery” for almost every TV announcer/newsperson/advertiser is the use of the “T – H – E”. Can you use either “thuh” or “thee” anywhere anytime and be right? Technically—NO. The pronunciation “thuh” is appropriate when the next word begins with a consonant...like “thuh word”. The pronunciation “thee” is proper when the next word begins with a vowel…like “the island”. We invite you to say out loud those two examples. See if you agree that it’s easier to say “thee island” than it is to say “thuh island”. We’re not anatomy experts but it seems that our voice mechanism works better when the “thee” pronunciation is followed by a vowel word. NEXT TIME: “A” vs. “AN”.
Comments are closed