diff --git a/beetsplug/the.py b/beetsplug/the.py
index 238aec32f..dfc58817d 100644
--- a/beetsplug/the.py
+++ b/beetsplug/the.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from beets.plugins import BeetsPlugin
 __author__ = 'baobab@heresiarch.info'
 __version__ = '1.1'
 
-PATTERN_THE = u'^[the]{3}\\s'
+PATTERN_THE = u'^the\\s'
 PATTERN_A = u'^[a][n]?\\s'
 FORMAT = u'{0}, {1}'
 
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 64e6ab85c..4a87f7f07 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ New features:
 
 Fixes:
 
+* :doc:`/plugins/the`: Fixed incorrect regex for 'the' that matched any
+  3-letter combination of the letters t, h, e.
+  :bug:`3701`
 * :doc:`/plugins/fetchart`: Fixed a bug that caused fetchart to not take
   environment variables such as proxy servers into account when making requests
   :bug:`3450`

"the" plugin uses incorrect regex
### Problem

Running this command:

```sh
~ ❯ beet move artist:trance -p
Moving 40 items.
M:\TET - Travailleur En Trance\[2008] Cobra Coded Escalation\01-01 - Cobra Reporting In.mp3
  -> M:\‒ Travailleur En Trance, TET\[2008] Cobra Coded Escalation\01-01 - Cobra Reporting In.mp3
```

Led to this problem:

"TET" is recognized by the "the" plugin as something it should move. This is because the regex used in the.py, line 26, is
```
PATTERN_THE = u'^[the]{3}\\s'
```
which matches "TET". It should probably be:
```
PATTERN_THE = u'^the\\s'
```

### Setup

* OS: Windows 10 2004
* Python version: 3.8
* beets version: latest trunk
* Turning off plugins made problem go away (yes/no): obviously, if I disable 'the' it no longer does this

diff --git a/test/test_the.py b/test/test_the.py
index 263446b92..1fc488953 100644
--- a/test/test_the.py
+++ b/test/test_the.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class ThePluginTest(_common.TestCase):
                          u'A Thing, An')
         self.assertEqual(ThePlugin().unthe(u'the An Arse', PATTERN_A),
                          u'the An Arse')
+        self.assertEqual(ThePlugin().unthe(u'TET - Travailleur', PATTERN_THE),
+                         u'TET - Travailleur')
 
     def test_unthe_with_strip(self):
         config['the']['strip'] = True

pip install -e .[dev]
parse_log_pytest
requirements.txt
pytest flake8
apt-get update apt-get install -y gcc
3.9
requirements/base.txt
pytest --no-header -rA --tb=line --color=no -p no:cacheprovider -W ignore::DeprecationWarning
-e git+https://github.com/beetbox/beets.git@4e9346942136d86b2250b9299bcb6e616a57c41f#egg=beets
confuse==2.0.1
exceptiongroup==1.2.2
filetype==1.2.0
flake8==7.2.0
iniconfig==2.1.0
jellyfish==1.2.0
mccabe==0.7.0
mediafile==0.13.0
munkres==1.1.4
musicbrainzngs==0.7.1
mutagen==1.47.0
packaging==24.2
pluggy==1.5.0
pycodestyle==2.13.0
pyflakes==3.3.2
pytest==8.3.5
PyYAML==6.0.2
six==1.17.0
tomli==2.2.1
Unidecode==1.3.8

name: beets
channels:
  - defaults
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
  - conda-forge
dependencies:
  - _libgcc_mutex=0.1=main
  - _openmp_mutex=5.1=1_gnu
  - ca-certificates=2025.2.25=h06a4308_0
  - ld_impl_linux-64=2.40=h12ee557_0
  - libffi=3.4.4=h6a678d5_1
  - libgcc-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libgomp=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libstdcxx-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - ncurses=6.4=h6a678d5_0
  - openssl=3.0.16=h5eee18b_0
  - pip=25.0=py39h06a4308_0
  - python=3.9.21=he870216_1
  - readline=8.2=h5eee18b_0
  - setuptools=75.8.0=py39h06a4308_0
  - sqlite=3.45.3=h5eee18b_0
  - tk=8.6.14=h39e8969_0
  - tzdata=2025a=h04d1e81_0
  - wheel=0.45.1=py39h06a4308_0
  - xz=5.6.4=h5eee18b_1
  - zlib=1.2.13=h5eee18b_1
  - pip:
      - confuse==2.0.1
      - exceptiongroup==1.2.2
      - filetype==1.2.0
      - flake8==7.2.0
      - iniconfig==2.1.0
      - jellyfish==1.2.0
      - mccabe==0.7.0
      - mediafile==0.13.0
      - munkres==1.1.4
      - musicbrainzngs==0.7.1
      - mutagen==1.47.0
      - packaging==24.2
      - pluggy==1.5.0
      - pycodestyle==2.13.0
      - pyflakes==3.3.2
      - pytest==8.3.5
      - pyyaml==6.0.2
      - six==1.17.0
      - tomli==2.2.1
      - unidecode==1.3.8
prefix: /opt/conda/envs/beets

test/test_the.py::ThePluginTest::test_unthe_with_default_patterns
test/test_the.py::ThePluginTest::test_custom_format test/test_the.py::ThePluginTest::test_custom_pattern test/test_the.py::ThePluginTest::test_template_function_with_defaults test/test_the.py::ThePluginTest::test_unthe_with_strip
docs/changelog.rst beetsplug/the.py
docs/changelog.rst beetsplug/the.py