Why do so many people pronounce the word THE before a vowel the way it should be before a consonant?

Question

**I am NOT referring to kids, people who are learning English as a second language, or people who never went to school (or were there in body only).

For instance:
'The object'...should be pronounced THEE object--not THUH object
'The attendance'----thee, not THUH
The 'importance'---thee, not THUH
'The umbrella'----thee, not THUH
'The envelope'----thee, not THUH
they are pronouncing it THUH--even on TV and in movies. I never heard so much of this until very recently.

thee apple
thee orange
thee imagination
thee evolutionary theory
thee understanding
not THUH...see what I mean?

Answer 1

This is a really interesting question, and I'm surprised no one has answered. I learned English as a foreign language at age 12 (about 50 years ago), and this is not a rule I was ever taught. But you're right, this seems to be the way "the" in front of a vowel is pronounced by careful English speakers.

I tested your examples on myself, and I think I always say "[thee] umbrella and [thee] importance, but I say "the apple". This suggests to me that pronouncing "the" as "thee" before a word that starts with a vowel is something I picked up (without ever being told it's a rule) in the case of "big" words, but for a simple word like apple that lots of people use, I heard enough people say "the apple" to imitate it that way.

If I'm any sort of example, and I should be, because I really, really tried to learn all the rules of correct English, then your answer is that people simply don't know this is a rule, and they are just sort of saying what they've heard. If it's getting worse, don't be surprised. Most people today just don't seem to care about grammar and pronunciation that much.

Of course, there are the exceptions like you and me!

Answer 2

I see your point, but I was never taught a right way to pronounce "the." People probably pick it up by custom.

And if I'm talking casually (rather than, say, giving a speech), I'm more likely to say, "Wher'sa umbrella?" than "where's THEE umbrella?" Try it. That's the way people talk.

Answer 3

I just don't think a lot of people picked up on that or we're taught it. I do use Thee and The, but I think it had more to do with how my parents spoke than anything. I don't remember any teacher ever mentioning it in class.

Answer 4

Some of the inflections you're commenting on are unwittingly intoned by certain regional accents.

Hehehe, also, there are a lot of people who just don't seem to care about THEE right way of doing things :)

Oh well, it's a free country...land of thee free and home of thee brave. :P