Let’s look at some different ways to pronounce ‘T’ in English.
1.) Aspirated T and Stop T
What does it sound like?
ten
true
internal
hotel
cat
pot
that
The tip on the tongue touches the top back of the front teeth, and then release a puff of air. The aspirated T joins the next syllable, and the stop T is a stand alone sound.
When do we use it?
We pronounce the normal T sound when the letter starts a word or stressed syllable.
2.) Flap T
What does it sound like?
In American English, the T here sounds close to a D.
better
water
daughter
party
bottle
little
The tongue quickly touches the ridge behind the upper teeth.
This ridge, called the alveolar, is the same place the tongue touches in the Spanish R, as in ‘pero’.
When do we use it?
When T is between vowels or the controlled R.
With C, K, and S
With ‘ltt’ (the dark L)
3.) Glottal Stop T
What does it sound like? The T sounds like ‘uh’.
kitten
certain
button
important
The air is stopped in the throat, then released by relaxing the throat.
When do we use it?
This quick T sound occurs after a vowel, N, or R and before an N sound.
4.) Silent T
What does it sound like? – It is silent in American English, so the sound is omitted.
gentle
advantage
winter
center
The T is always silent in some words, regardless of accent.
castle
fasten
listen
thistle
wrestle
Christmas
mortgage
chestnut
ballet
rapport
In the first examples, the sound is omitted, or pronounced as a normal aspirated T, depending on accent.
When do we use it?
Some accents don’t pronounce the T when it is between N and a vowel or R.
5.) T as ch, ge, and sh
What does it sound like? – CH sounds like ch ur ch. GE sounds like George. And SH sounds like shush.
patient
fortune
culture
solution
equation
question
The CH sound is made by holding the tongue in the middle of a loosely closed mouth and expelling air with force. The GE sound is similar, but comes from the throat. The SH similar, but made by forming a smile.
When do we use it?
TI is sometimes pronounced as CH, especially in words that come from Latin.
A T followed by a long U sounds like CH.
NOTE: In some dialects, T is sometimes pronounced as CH. For example tree sounds like ch -r – e.
Learn about -tion and -sion.
A letter to the awesome student that asked the question
Great Question!
A student asked me recently why T sometimes sounds like R to her, and here’s my answer.
You’re right that T can sometimes sound like an R, especially to Spanish speakers!
The flap T can sound like a soft D, and the silent T isn’t pronounced. So when either of these is followed by a R, you don’t hear the T, only the R.
For example:
better
water
daughter
winter
center
Also, the Spanish R (as in pero, not perro) is made by using the same tongue placement as the English flap T. Though the R sound is English is quite different, it adds to the confusion.
You don’t want to flap your T too little or too much. Some American accents can sound a bit lazy to the rest of us. But you also don’t want to pronounce it too strongly and sound ‘stuck up British’. We can talk more about it in class.
Great question, Thank you!
Try the Pronunciation Exercise!
Can you match the words that rhyme?
Further Reading
Pronunciation.com – American English Pronunciation
Keep practicing!
Practice pronouncing T
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