T Sound - AHD Symbol /t/
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The Sound T /t/
Place the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge, stop the air completely, then release the air. Do NOT make a vocal sound.
When a word begins with /t/, make the sound with a noisy puff of air. To be sure the puff of air is strong enough, place a small piece of paper in front of your mouth when pronouncing the following words. The paper should move considerably.
tame
tap
team
ten
tip
tray* (Voiceless r)
tree*
twin* (Voiceless w)
twelve*
thyme
Make the same noisy puff when a word ends in another consonant sound plus /t/.
act
lift
fault
can't
apt
last
borscht
text
* Make the same noisy puff for -st or -est at the end of an adjective to make the superlative form.
best
biggest
happiest
worst
smallest
silliest
most
least
Note: The past tense marker, -ed, is pronounced /t/, with the puff of air, when the verb ends in a voiceless consonant sound such as /p/, /k/, /ch/, /f/, /sh/, /s/, or /ks/. Be careful not to make a vowel sound before the /t/.
taped ...... /ta-pt/
picked ..... /pi(kt/
watched ... /wo(cht/
laughed .... /la(ft/
washed .... /wo(sht/
passed ..... /pa(st/
faxed ....... /fa(kst/
* Do NOT make the puff of air when /t/ follows /s/ at the beginning of a syllable.
stamp
step
stove
mistake
faster
history
* To pronounce /t/ just before the sound /s/ at the end of words, tap the tip of your tongue on the palate (Unstressed T), then slide your tongue forward to make /s/.
bats
rests
bites
cats
beasts
coats
* To produce the /t/ at the end of words that occur before words beginning with a consonant, tap your tongue on the alveolar ridge, stop the vocal sound, then go on to the next word.
1. She ate three hot dogs.
2. The fat cat sat down on the mat.
3. I'll bet she got the hat with that money.
4. I met them at the market.
* In certain words, the /t/ is unreleased as above, then followed by the unstressed vowel sound /&/, then by the sound /n/ (Syllabic N).
button
mitten
kitten
bitten
fountain
mountain
important
sentence
* When the last word you say ends in the sound /t/, pronounce it either with or without the puff of air. There is no difference in meaning.
With the puff and without the puff of air.
* He sat on his hat.
* She put on her coat.
* They came to visit.
* He didn't eat.
* I didn't say that.
Practice
1. Those tenants tore up the apartment.
2. Leave the stew on the stove for two minutes.
3. Just a minute, please.
4. I put the buttons in my pocket.
5. Stand up straight.
6. Janet washed her skirt and two t-shirts.
7. She wished she had polished her boots.
8. The last time I went to that store, I got lost.
Note: The letter t, when followed by the sound /yoo-/ is usually pronounced /ch/.
Examples: situation, ritual, factual, congratulations, let you, don't you, won't you, can't you, didn't you, wouldn't you
When the letter t occurs between vowels, it has one of the pronunciations of the sound flap/tap. To make this sound, tap the tongue quickly on the palate without holding it, then go on to the next vowel.
Examples: city, later, shorter, grated, subtle, little
* The letter t is silent in the following words.
often
listen
fasten
hasten
mortgage
mustn't
