diff --git a/beetsplug/the.py b/beetsplug/the.py
index 238aec32..dfc58817 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 64e6ab85..4a87f7f0 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`

diff --git a/test/test_the.py b/test/test_the.py
index 263446b9..1fc48895 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

"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

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