The usual pronunciation in American English is (´thr), with a long e sound. According to the Dictionary of American Regional English, the pronunciation (´thr), with a long i, is used mostly by well-educated speakers in urban areas of the Northeast, and is often considered affected by others. Almost the opposite is true in British English, however, where (´thr) is more common. Both pronunciations have been recognized by English dictionaries since the 18th century. The same variation occurs in neither.
´th
r), with a long e sound. According to the Dictionary of American Regional English, the pronunciation (
´th
