Sounds · The T

T becomes a quick D

In water, “wa” is the strong part, in bold; “ter” is a quick part. After R, a T changes too: party.

Hear it in words

How each word is written, and how Americans say it.

• betterbedder
• littleliddle
• citysiddy
• gettinggedding
• partypardy
• laterlayder
• mattermadder
• datadayda
• prettypriddy
• totaltodal
• meetingmeeding
• waitingwaiding

Between words

• get up ged up
• put it on pud id on
• What about you? Whad about you?
• what a day whad a day

In a sentence

• Can I get a little water? Can I ged a liddle wadder?
• Can we meet a little later? Can we meed a liddle layder?
• What about Saturday? Whad about Sadderday?

Careful with these

• At the start of a word or a strong part, the T has air: hotel, attack, today
• After S, F, K or P, the T stays: sister, after, doctor
• Before an N at the end, the T stops: button, written, certain

How to say it

• Touch the tip of your tongue behind your top teeth once, very fast.
• Don’t stop your voice: say “wadder” as one smooth sound.

Listen for: One quick D in the middle, with no break and no air.

Where to look for it

A T or TT between vowels, or after R and before a vowel: water, city, party, community. Between words too: get it, a lot of. Not when the T starts a strong part: hotel and attack keep a full T.

More about it

D does this too: ready, body. In potato, the first T starts the strong part and stays a T; the second becomes a quick D. After L, the T usually stays: salty. It is one fast touch, not a long, heavy D. At the end of a word, a T before any vowel becomes a quick D, even a strong one: get up. British English often keeps a full T in water and better; American English uses a quick D.

Teachers call this: The flap T, or tap T.

Listen for it today. When someone asks for water or says “a little”, listen for the quick D.