Why Do Some People Pronounce "the" As "Da" or "Dee"??

[VividJailbird]

Hi, dear teachers:

1. Why do a lot of people pronounce "the" as "da" or "dee", and pronounce "that's it" as "Dat's it" ?? (many of them are native English speakers)

I've never heard old time Britishers pronounce them that way.

2. Why do some old-fashioned gentlemen and ladies pronounce "very" as "vely"?

Altho I'm not native English speaker, I have discerning ears and am very sensitive to people's pronunciations. I'v asked the same questions from other native English speakers but a lot of them denied they ever pronounced it that way and think I'm nuts.

I'v noticed many actors tend to pronounce "very" as "vely" and love to roll their tongues a lot, especially when playing movies set in old times, especially in Shakespearean dramas.


Respectfully,
Jailbird

[dkth1nh]

This is the rule of pronouncing "the" in English.
English Pronunciation: How to Pronounce "the" | EnglishClub.com
And "that" is pronounced "ðæt" like "dat". So there's no problem with both pronunciation.
I wish these could help you something. :D

[VividJailbird]

Originally Posted by dkth1nh

This is the rule of pronouncing "the" in English.
English Pronunciation: How to Pronounce "the" | EnglishClub.com
And "that" is pronounced "ðæt" like "dat". So there's no problem with both pronunciation.
I wish these could help you something. :D

thanks , dkth1nh.

But I'm sorry to say that doesn't help much.

I knew the rules. But I'm asking why they pronounce "th" as "d"???

[thod00]

Perhaps the native speakers can distinguish between the sounds and it is your ears that are faulty. Accent plays a big part too, the 'th' sound is difficult sound to make and the various accents have different norms for reducing it.

[VividJailbird]

naw. my ears are perfectly right....

[BobK]

Originally Posted by VividJailbird

naw. my ears are perfectly right....

But perceptions, particularly linguistic perceptions, depend on more than just ears. So I don't think you're in a position to rule out thod00's point.

As for the da/dee point, some languages don't have the /ɵ/+/ð/ sounds, and if you're not brought up using and recognizing speech sounds, they're often hard to acquire.

b

[whitechalk]

I too, need further explanation on the "da" and "dee" sounds.

The ("da") boy rears a baby elephant. The ("dee") elephant is his.

Is it proper for me to use "dee" infront of a noun/subject spelled with vowels at the beginning?

The ("dee") eagle (or, apple, umbrella etc)

To me, "dee" is used to emphasize, rather than "telling". Please correct me.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I've heard many, many Americans and some Irish pronounce th like a d. It's just the way some people talk. It's not standard. It's a regional and class marker.

Always remember: most native English speakers do not speak standard English.

Some writers trying to capture the upper-class British very write veddy.

[I edit copy and have tutored college writing.]

[VividJailbird]

Many thanks , Charlie:)

[BobK]

That consonant - to use the jargon - is a 'flap' and not an 'occlusive'. People who use it aren't saying [d], but "d" is the nearest we can get to it using the letters used to write English. For an example, there must be somewhere on the net with a sound file of Noel Coward saying 'Very flat, Norfolk'.

b