Skip navigation

Snap Language

Getting Smarter through Language

Practice 1: Pronunciation of “the" in English

  Email this page

Instructions

This exercise is based on this lesson about the pronunciation of articles in English. For each phrase below, click how the definite article “the” is normally pronounced (/ðə/ or /ðij/).

When you click the button, you will see the answer. To close the answer, click the button again.

Complete this exercise based on the the lesson about the pronunciation of the articles in English.

Instructions

For each phrase below, click how the definite article “the” is normally pronounced

1. the university

Correct!

Great job!

Incorrect!

You need to say /ðə/ because U in “university” has a Y-sound, which is a consonant sound.

2. the tall building

Correct!

The T-sound is a consonant sound.

Incorrect!

The word “tall” starts with a T-sound, which is a consonant. You should say /ðə/.

3. the excellent student

Incorrect!

“Excellent” starts with a vowel sound. You normally say /ðij/ before a vowel sound.

Correct!

You're excellent!

4. the hotel

Correct!

“Hotel” starts with a consonant H-sound.

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ because “hotel” starts with a consonant H-sound.

5. the old house

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ here because first sound in “old” is a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to it and get /ðijoʊld/

Correct!

Awesome! “Old” starts with a vowel sound, so you connect /ðij/ to it and get /ðijoʊld/

6. the urgent email

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ before “urgent” because it starts with a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to it and get /ðijˈɜr dʒənt/

Correct!

You’re doing great!

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɜr dʒənt/ and get /ðijˈɜr dʒənt/

7. the woman

Correct!

This is great! Keep it up.

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ here because “woman” starts with a W, which is a consonant sound.

8. the English lesson

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ before a word that starts with a vowel. “English” starts with a vowel.

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɪŋ glɪʃ/ and get /ðijˈɪŋ glɪʃ/

Correct!

You got it! “English” starts with a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɪŋ glɪʃ/ and get /ðijˈɪŋ glɪʃ/

9. the office

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ here because “office” starts with a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɒf ɪs/ and get /ðijˈɒf ɪs/

Correct!

You’re awesome!

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɒf ɪs/ and get /ðijˈɒf ɪs/

10. the uniform

Correct!

You got it! “Uniform” starts with a Y-sound, which is a consonant sound.

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ here because “uniform” has a Y-sound, which is a consonant sound.

11. the hot soup

Correct!

Good job!

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ before and consonant sound like H.

12. the writer

Correct!

You’re correct again! W is a consonant sound.

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ before “writer” because it starts with the consonant sound /w/.

13. the arm

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ before a vowel sound. “Arm” starts with a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɑrm/ and get /ðijˈɑrm/

Correct!

You’re doing a great job!

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɑrm/ and get /ðijˈɑrm/

14. the eyes

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ before a word that starts with a vowel sound like “eyes.”

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈaɪz/ and get /ðijaɪz/

Correct!

You’re doing great work here!

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈaɪz/ and get /ðijaɪz/

15. the honor is all mine

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/. You do not pronounce the H in “honor,” so it starts with a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɒn ər/ and get /ðijˈɒn ər/

Correct!

All right! This was a difficult one, but you got it. The H in “honor” is silent, so it actually starts with an O-sound when you pronounce it.

You connect /ðij/ to /ˈɒn ər/ and get /ðijˈɒn ər/

16. the writer

Correct!

That’s right! “Writer” starts with a consonant sound, W.

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ because “writer” starts with a W-sound, and that’s a consonant sound.

17. the M&M company

Incorrect!

That was a little difficult. The first sound in “M&M” is /'ɛm/, which is a vowel sound. You need to say /ðij/ before a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to /ɛm/ and get /ðijɛm/

Correct!

Whoa! This was a difficult one, but you got it right! The first sound in “M&M” is /'ɛm/, which is a vowel sound.

You connect /ðij/ to /ɛm/ and get /ðijɛm/

18. the language textbook

Correct!

You’re great!

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ before an L-sound because it is a consonant sound.

19. the German language

Correct!

Schön! Du hast es wieder mal geschafft!

Incorrect!

You should say /ðə/ because the first sound in “German” is a consonant sound.

20. the October weather

Incorrect!

You should say /ðij/ before a word that start with a vowel sound like the O in “October.”

You connect /ðij/ to /ɒkˈtoʊ bɚ/ and get /ðijɒkˈtoʊ bɚ/

Correct!

Well, you are really good at this, aren’t you?

You connect /ðij/ to /ɒkˈtoʊ bər/ and get /ðijɒkˈtoʊ bər/

Back to the Lesson

You’re all done. Congratulations!

Card image cap

Thanks to our supporters!

This material has been made possible by supporters like you. Learn how you can support us.

Card image cap

“What should I learn next?”

Use the navigation buttons to choose another skill or another lesson in this skill.

Thank you for Supporting Snap Language

Snap Language supporters make the creation of these materials possible.

Learn how you can support our work, get perks, and help us continue creating high-quality materials.

You can support us by simply white-listing this site.