English Pronunciation Training: Learn American English T Sounds

English Pronunciation 500 Common Words: T Sounds

The T sound is one of the key differences between British English and American English pronunciation. The "T between vowels" rule in the second column is the American dialect and can be used in both formal and informal situations. The "T after N" and "T before N" rules are very frequently used, but are informal. We will use the regular T sound when being clear or speaking to a group. The "T at the end" in the last column is also informal, but Americans, even in formal situations, will use a very small T sound when it is the last letter. Read more about T Sound Rules.

Study the words below. Then practice all the T sound changes with reading 1 and reading 2.

Sounds of the American T

T in “Table” (when T is 1st letter, next to a consonant or on the stressed syllable)

T between vowel sounds: quick. light D sound

T after N: silent

T before N: Hard N sound

T at the end: stopped T (tongue goes to roof of the mouth, but no sound or very small sound)

Video

Act

About a = abouda

Center = cenr

Certain =
cer-N

About

After

At a = ada

Interview = inerview

Mountain =
mou-N

Against

Beauty = byoodee

Interstate = inerstate

Sentence =
sen-Ns

Boat

Best

Better = bedr

Internet = inernet

Written =
wri-N

Brought

Contain

Bottle = bodul

Counter = couner

Forgotten =
forgo-N

But

Correct

But I = bud-I

Wanted = waned

Important =
impor-Nt

complete

Country

City = cidee

Printer = priner

Curtain = kr-N

Cut

Direct

Eat a = eada

Enter = enr

Mitten = mi-N

Don’t

East

Get a = geda

Don't know = donno or dunno

Fountain = fou-N

Eat

Fact

Got a = goda

Twenty = tweny

Feet

Fast

Great idea = greadidea

Extra Reading Practice

Foot

First

Hot afternoon = hodafternoon

Front

Interest

It is = idis

Get

Last

Letter = leder

Got

Let’s

Lettuce = ledus

Great

List

Light a = lighda

Heat

Most

Little = lidl

Hot

Lot a = loda

Object

Lot of = lodof

Late

Often

Notice = nodis

Let

Product

Out of = oudof or ouda

Light

Rest

Pattern = padrn

Lot

Stand

Put a = puda

Might

Star

quarter = quardr

Minute

Start

That a = thada

Night

State

Wait a = waida

Note

Stay

Water = wadr

Out

Step

What a = whada

Part

Still

What I = whad-I

Plant

Stood

Write a = wrida

Point

Stop

Yet a = yeda

Port

Story

Yet I = yed-I

Put

Street

Computer = compudr

Right

Strong

Saturday = sadurday

Sent

Study

University = universidy

Short

Table

Thirty = thirdy

Start

Tail

Forty = fordy

Street

Talk

Seventy = sevendy

Thought

Teach

Eighty = eighdy

Wait

Tell

Ninety = ninedy

Went

Practice

*Note: Stopped T's also happen inside words if the sound that follows is not a vowel.
For example: completely, thoughtful, network.
Be careful! Other T sound rules may apply. If the T comes surrounded by vowel sounds, as in "waiting," the T = D rule works.
If "nt" is following by "ed" or "ing," the silent T after N rule works, as in "planting" or "pointing."

Back to Speak Method Home Page.
Speak Method is part of I.E. Tutoring which owns the copyright to all materials on this site.

Online Classes	500 Words Pronunciation	750 Business Words	R, TH, T and others
Seattle Classes	Pronunciation Facts	TOEFL Prep	ESL Stories
Contact Us	Vowel Sounds	Grammar and Idioms	Learn by Language