Rules of American English: How Do You Pronounce “T”?

American English pronunciation can be quite confusing! There are so many different rules. For example, what is the rule for pronouncing “t”? Should it be a “t” or a “d” sound? Many non-native American English-speaking clients ask me that question. Although the pronunciation of the “t” will not affect the person’s ability to be understood, some people want to learn the American pronunciation. I must emphasize that this is not essential to be an effective communicator. In fact, there are regional variations across the US.

“T” is pronounced different ways depending on its position in the word. The following rules identify different /t/ variations:

1. Precise T: “T” is said "crisply" or “precisely” if it is at the beginning of a word or in the stressed syllable of a word; for example, “Tom,” “atomic,” “attack,” “Italian”

• Tom was an interpreter for the talk on Tuesday.

2. Flap T: Before an unstressed syllable, “T” is said more quickly, less precisely, and with some voicing as a flap /t/; for example, “attic,” “city,” “Italy”

• Betty is waiting for the meeting to begin.

3. Unreleased T: At the end of a word, “T” is unreleased and hardly heard; for example, “at,” “it.” Note: In some parts of the US, the “T” is released at the end of the word.

• Matt was a great speaker on the debate team.

4. Glottal T: When “T” is in the middle of a word that is followed by an /n/, it is sometimes said towards the back of the throat or as a glottal /t/; for example, “mountain” (“moun- in”), “button” (“buh-in”)

• Martin lost the remittance for the maintenance work.

5. Cluster T: When combined with other consonants in a cluster, the “T” is influenced by the other sound in that blend; for example, “correct,” “accept,” “first,” “left,” “rent,” “part,” “belt.” Note: There are regional variations for this pattern and sometimes the “T” is not pronounced.

• Resist the temptation to accept the first amount on the list.

To learn more about the many RULES of American English pronunciation, check out our products HERE.

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