"The" is the most common word in English.

[intrepidity]

"The" is *the* most common word in English.

Did the pronunciations (in your head as you read them) change?

[defacto7]

1. No, if you mean correct pronunciation. Yes if you mean they would be different.

[Doodley]

2. I would have thought that shit or fuck are more common. The people that use that language are

as common as dirt!

[Wounded Bear]

5. Only in the Trump era...

[Iggo]

3. Yep.

[planetc]

4. I'm stunned. Stunned.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. First one pronounced as 'thee'

Second one pronounced as 'thuh.'

I've noticed that my speech, over time, tends toward more 'thee.'

[intrepidity]

7. Right?

I haven't yet Googled this, but had just been wondering about it.

[hay rick]

11. Just the opposite with me.

In my case, it also seems to depend on emphasis. If I emphasize "the" in the sentence it comes out "thee." If I emphasize "most" in the sentence it comes out "thuh."

[doc03]

8. Only "The" Ohio State University can use that

word.

[LeftInTX]

9. Yes

I tend to pronounce as "the" as "thee" when it is used before a word that starts with a vowel and some consonants.

The men
The note
The television
The store
The apple
The umbrella
The idiot
The orange
The door

[Leith]

10. Yes, my pronunciation changed

The first occurrence was the complete syllable. The second squished out the vowel entirely so that it comes out more like "thmost."

Odd that some languages don't even have the definite and indefinite articles at all. They get along just fine without them.