the

From Wiktionary

[change] Pronunciation

stressed, before a vowel

• (UK) enPR: thē, IPA: /ðiː/, SAMPA: /Di:/
• (US) enPR: thē, IPA: /ði/, SAMPA: /Di/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

unstressed, before a consonant

• enPR: thə
• IPA: /ðə/
• SAMPA: /D@/
•  Audio (CAN)^{help, file}
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[change] Determiner

Determiner the

article

1. Used, instead of a, to reference something specific, already known to exist.

   Compare "I read a book." and "I read the book."

2. Used with a stress, to show that the word following is special.

   Are you the John Smith that I went school with?

3. Used with an adjective that acts like a noun to mean all of the people concerned

   The poor are always with us

[change] Grammar

• the is called the definite article