Pronunciation:

The is pronounced “thuh” before a consonant sound:
the man, the hat, the university.

The is pronounced “thee” before a vowel sound:
the elephant, the heir, the ulcer.

The is also pronounced “thee” when referring to the absolute best:
The Reine-Elizabeth is the hotel in Montreal
Harvard is the university in Boston.

AND before a V.I.P. with a common name:
the Stephen Harper, the Maurice Richard.

Use the with specific unique things:
the White House, the theory of relativity, the 2007 budget.

We often use the to refer to inventions, animal species and musical instruments:
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
The lion is the king of the jungle.
Can you play the guitar?

No Article

The is NOT used in generalizations:
Coffee is a popular beverage.
Russian is his mother tongue.
Intelligence is difficult to measure.
Life is beautiful.
Time is money.
That's life!
Chaos comes from lack of order

However, the makes things specific (remember, it’s a DEFINITE article):
The coffee I just made is too weak.
The Russian he speaks is often heard in Siberia.
The intelligence of animals is undeniable.
The life of some people is beautiful.
The money that I make comes from the time that I work.
That's the life I lead.
The chaos he caused was eventually controlled.

Languages, nationalities, days of the week, sports, academic subjects, and meals don’t take an article unless a specific one is meant*:
Sophie speaks French and English. The English she speaks is British.
I always had meetings on Fridays. The Friday I remember most is the one when I was fired.
Amal plays soccer and volleyball. The volleyball he plays is beach volleyball.
Mr. Singh teaches Math and Chemistry in the local high school. The Math he teaches is Advanced.
Joan prepares breakfast, lunch and supper for her elderly mother. She burnt the breakfast she made yesterday.

Do NOT use an article when discussing plurals unless specific ones are meant:
boys, eggs, horses, hours, umbrellas, unions.

Do you see the difference between these?
Little girls cry. The little girls next door cry all of the time.
Men are pigs. The men in that bar are pigs.

Do NOT use the before these geographical expressions (groups are exceptions):
- continents and countries: Asia, North America, Europe, Canada, France
(exceptions: the Philippines, the Netherlands and the United States)

- provinces and states: Quebec, BC, Ontario, Maine, Florida
(exceptions: the Western provinces, the Atlantic provinces, the Maritimes )

- cities: Rome, Havana, Cairo, Mecca
(exception: The Hague )

- streets: Main Street, Park Avenue, Sherbrooke
(exception: “The Main” )

- lakes and bays: Lake Ontario, James Bay
(exception: the Great Lakes )

- mountains: Mont-Tremblant, Mount Royal, Mount Everest
(exceptions: the Alps, the Rockies, the Laurentians )

- islands: Vancouver Island, Prince Edward Island, Nun’s Island
(exceptions: the Bahamas, the Magdalene Islands, or the Hawaiian Islands)

* The French and the English can also mean les français et les anglais.