Table of Contents
What is the allophone of T?
It comes from the Greek words for “other” and “sound,” and refers to the specific ways of pronouncing a phoneme. So aspirated /t/, the glottal stop, the alveolar flap, and the CH sound are all allophones of the phoneme /t/.
Why is the T silent in some words?
As Bright explains, the “t” in these words is an acoustically “explosive” one, and to sound it after an “s” or an “f”—both of which expend “considerable breath”—is “especially difficult and obscure.” Consequently the “t” sound is assimilated into its surroundings and becomes silent.
Why do I drop my TS?
Notice that the T is always dropped on the non-stressed syllable in a word. If you were fully pronouncing the T’s in those words, your tongue would touch the roof of your mouth and the T-sound would pop out with a puff of air. That’s called “aspiration.” Try it by saying “water,” and make sure you pronounce the T.
Do British people say don t?
So, if it is reasonable to conclude anything from this data, it is that Americans overall use don’t about twice as frequently as the British, but the British use don’t in speech about 2.9 times more frequently than Americans.
What are some words that you can’t pronounce?
If You Mispronounce These 14 Words, You’ll Sound Really Unprofessional. 1 1. Chaise Longue. There is no such thing as a Chaise Lounge. You think there is. Because 19th-century Americans thought there was. You think it makes 2 2. Nuclear. 3 3. For All Intents and Purposes. 4 4. Vehemently. 5 5. Quinoa.
How do you pronounce the T in the middle of a word?
The /t/ is pronounced as a glottal stop /ʔ/ (the sound in the middle of the word ‘uh-oh’) when it is between a vowel, /n/, or /r/ (including all r-controlled vowels) and followed by an /n/ (including a syllabic /n/), /m/, or non-syllabic /l/.
Why don’t Americans have a short pause before they pronounce the T?
Since we typically like to speak quickly, we don’t bother with the short pause and pronounce the “t” with less focus instead. It is common in languages for certain letters in certain words to loose their accentuation over time.
How many different pronunciations of T are there in English?
The /t/ has 4 different pronunciations: 1) a regular /t/ (take), 2) /t̬/ (like a ‘d,’ as in water), 3) glottal stop /ʔ/ (kitten) 4) become silent (winter).