T sounds in English
PRONUNCIATION
T SOUND IN AMERICAN ENGLISH
(TRUE T, FLAP T, GLOTTAL STOP, OMITTED T)
1. True T: 5 main rules
- At the beginning of a word: true, truck, train, try, triumph, triangle, truth, trim
- Stressed sound (often second syllable): attach, pretend, tattoo, internal, petition, retire, Italian
- St: stamp, suggested, best, west
- Str: strong, street, construction, instrument
- Ft: lift, shift, gift
2. Flap T (quick D sound) Rule: vowel/r sound + flap T + vowel/r (r-controlled vowel)/ syllabic
Examples:
artist, hearty, thirty, forty, daughter, waiter, water, quarter
batter, bitter, better, latter, lettuce, litter, ditto, kitty, motto
bitting, heated, waiting, invited
battle, hospital, little, mortal, settle
Betty bought a bit of better butter. But, said she,This butter’s bitter. If I put it in my batter, It’ll make my batter bitter.
3. Glottal stop (a stop sound made by rapidly closing the vocal cords)
Rule: vowel/r sound/n + glottal stop T + n/schwa + n/m/l
Examples:
certain, carton, mountain, Clinton, forgotten, smarten, rotten, continent, acquaintance, maintenance, important, curtain, button
partner, fitness, recently, urgently, pointless, assortment, apartment
4. Omitted T (T sound is completely omitted)
Rule 1: N + omitted T + vowel/r (r-controlled vowel)/syllabic
Ex: center, gentle, advantage, internet, interview, international, etc.
Rule 2: Consonant + omitted T + consonant
Ex: prints, acts, accepts, reacts, accounts, gifts, rests, etc.
LISTENING PRACTICE
Listen to the interview and choose the best answer. 1. Where was her last vacation?
California Spain Vietnam 2. How was it? Fantastic! Great! Terrible!
3. What did she do in the South of the country? She went hiking She went to the beach
She went swimming She went to the mountains 4. What did
T SOUND IN AMERICAN ENGLISH
(TRUE T, FLAP T, GLOTTAL STOP, OMITTED T)
1. True T: 5 main rules
- At the beginning of a word: true, truck, train, try, triumph, triangle, truth, trim
- Stressed sound (often second syllable): attach, pretend, tattoo, internal, petition, retire, Italian
- St: stamp, suggested, best, west
- Str: strong, street, construction, instrument
- Ft: lift, shift, gift
2. Flap T (quick D sound) Rule: vowel/r sound + flap T + vowel/r (r-controlled vowel)/ syllabic
Examples:
artist, hearty, thirty, forty, daughter, waiter, water, quarter
batter, bitter, better, latter, lettuce, litter, ditto, kitty, motto
bitting, heated, waiting, invited
battle, hospital, little, mortal, settle
Betty bought a bit of better butter. But, said she,This butter’s bitter. If I put it in my batter, It’ll make my batter bitter.
3. Glottal stop (a stop sound made by rapidly closing the vocal cords)
Rule: vowel/r sound/n + glottal stop T + n/schwa + n/m/l
Examples:
certain, carton, mountain, Clinton, forgotten, smarten, rotten, continent, acquaintance, maintenance, important, curtain, button
partner, fitness, recently, urgently, pointless, assortment, apartment
4. Omitted T (T sound is completely omitted)
Rule 1: N + omitted T + vowel/r (r-controlled vowel)/syllabic
Ex: center, gentle, advantage, internet, interview, international, etc.
Rule 2: Consonant + omitted T + consonant
Ex: prints, acts, accepts, reacts, accounts, gifts, rests, etc.
LISTENING PRACTICE
Listen to the interview and choose the best answer. 1. Where was her last vacation?
California Spain Vietnam 2. How was it? Fantastic! Great! Terrible!
3. What did she do in the South of the country? She went hiking She went to the beach
She went swimming She went to the mountains 4. What did