American T:  How Americans Say the "T" Sound in the Start, Middle and Ends of Words (2024)

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American T: How Americans Say the "T" Sound in the Start, Middle and Ends of Words

8/2/2018

4 Comments

American T: How Americans Say the "T" Sound in the Start, Middle and Ends of Words (1)

In American English, we have 3 different ways of making a "T" sound. For all of the /t/ sounds, we use the tip of the tongue and the alveolar ridge (the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth). In the start of words, we always use an aspirated t. This means we have a puff of air which escapes when we release the t.

American T: How Americans Say the "T" Sound in the Start, Middle and Ends of Words (2)

At the ends of words, Americans often use a stopped T. This means they move the tongue into position for the /t/, but they don't release the air.

In the middle of words, we use aspirated T, stopped T, and flapped T. A Flap T is different because the voice is on (unlike the other types of T, which are voiceless), and a flap T does not have any build-up of air like a T or a D. The tongue contacts the alveolar ridge lightly and releases immediately. If you have difficulty with flap T, it can help to think of it as a light D sound.

American T: How Americans Say the "T" Sound in the Start, Middle and Ends of Words (3)

Unfortunately, we don't always use a flap T in the middle of words. The video below gives you examples of the following patterns:

Medial T is usually flapped when between 2 vowel sounds. This includes final T when the next word begins with a vowel and we link words. (Final T Linking is discussed here.)
Most words with -ter, -ted, -test, -ting, -ty
better, batter, butter, letter, waiter, writer, water, litter, greater, lighter, wetter
waited, righted, lighted, matted, sighted, fitted,
metabolic, artificial, comforting, dirty, city
greatest, hottest, fatal, hospital, turtle

Medial T (stopped when followed by syllabic n or -ment, -ance, -ly, -m)
Button kitten mittens rotten cotton mountain threaten
Appointment, department, commitment, disappointment, adjustment, treatment
Important, Importance, combatant, pollutant,
Ultimately, infinitely,
Atmosphere

Medial T between 2 vowels (aspirated when second syllable is stressed, other exceptions)
Guitar potato eighteen hotel motel retirement material
Architecture laboratory irritant militant

Medial T (aspirated when not any of the above: in a cluster, not between two vowels)
Distant, Opportunity, transportation, Intonation, enter, interpretation, reputation, representation, concentrate, multi-, sophisticated, documentation, investigate, particular, metro-, consultation, continuation, anticipation

Medial nt words, can sometimes omit t: wanted, Santa Barbara, counter, anti- (eg antibiotic) inter-(eg international), representative, identification, disappointing, advantage

American T: How Americans Say the "T" Sound in the Start, Middle and Ends of Words (4)

4 Comments

Ahmed mukhtarlink

4/29/2020 09:18:13 am

I need to in joining this lessons tutorial because I want to learn pronounce

Reply

Dinna Sorianolink

11/28/2021 04:58:06 pm

thanks..it helps a lot.

Reply

max

1/23/2024 05:12:25 pm

why is it poliTics rather than poliDics?

Reply

Speech Modification

1/24/2024 07:45:39 am

Hi, "politics" doesn't really follow the rules, but you're correct, we use a true /t/ sound in that word.

Reply

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