• ObsidianZed@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    1 month ago

    I use both. One feels more singular while the other feels more plural though I can’t tell you which when you ask me. We have to sneak up on it together.

    I have the same issue with “Thuh” and “Thee” for “The.”

    • Limfjorden@feddit.dk
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 month ago

      “The” does have two pronunciations depending on if the word after it starts with a vovel sound or not. It’s “Thuh” for consonants and “Thee” for vowels.

        • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          edit-2
          1 month ago

          It’s both things, and subjected to wide variation:

          - Stressed Unstressed
          Prevocalic /ði:/ /ði/, /ðɪ/, /ð/
          Preconsonantal /ði:/, /ðʌ/ /ðə/

          Source for those pronunciations, Wiktionary.

          To complicate it further some varieties merge /ʌ/ and /ə/, or /ɪ/ and /ə/. And I’m not even taking into account varieties using a different consonant, /t θ d f v/.

          • Kazumara
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            1 month ago

            Ohh nice, that table helps. I felt like something was off about people sometimes using more /ði:/ than what I was taught!

        • untorquer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 month ago

          Please, i don’t want to be self aware of my accent in my first language.

          Also the two pronunciations of “the” noted above are different mouth shapes. “Uh” un butt versus “ee” in jeep.

        • Limfjorden@feddit.dk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 month ago

          I’m just going off what I learned in school in Denmark. According to lvxferre@mander.xyz it seems there is a lot more variation than I thought.