STANDARD AMERICAN

ACCENT PRACTICE
The American T can be little tricky if you base your
pronunciation base on spelling. Here are five simple rules:

 T is T at the beginning of a word. Or in stressed syllable.

 T is D in the middle of a word.
 T is held at the end of a word.
 T is held before N in –tain and ten endings.
 T is silent after N with lax vowels.
RULE #1: T is T at the beginning of a word. Or in stressed syllable.

Let’s Practice! Read the following sentences. Make sure that the Ts are sharp and
clear.

 Tina tried to tame Ted’s tiger on Tuesday.

 Terry told Tim to take a trip to Texas.
 Tom and Tasha were too tense to tango in Taiwan.
 Tell Tyler to take two turns this time.
 Thirteen and fourteen and fifteen make forty two.
RULE 2: T is D in the middle of a word.

Let’s Practice! Read the following sentences. An unstressed T in the

middle of a staircase between two vowel sounds should be pronounced
as soft D.

Betty bought a bit of better

butter..
 Let’s try again!
NEUTRAL ACCENT US ACCENT
Patty got a little better.
Put a little water on it.
Get a better water heater.
 Let’s try again!
NEUTRAL ACCENT US ACCENT
Patty got a little better. Paddy godda liddle bedder.
Put a little water on it. Pudda liddle wadder.
Get a better water heater. Gedda bedder wadder.
 RULE# 3: T is held at the end of a word.

 There are three “held” Ts, which, strictly speaking, are not really Ts
at all.
 By held, mean that the tongue is in the T position, but the air isn’t
released.
 To compare, when you say T as in Tom, there’s a sharp burst of air over
the tip of the tongue.
 When you say Betty, there’s a soft puff of air over the tip of the tongue.
 When you hold a T, as in ho(t), your tongue is in the position for T, but
you hold the air back with the tip of your tongue.
 LET’S PRACTICE!

Say:
 Take i(t)
 It’s wha(t)
 Pu(t) them back in the po(t)
 Se(t) the clock back a(t) the even(t)
 Wha(t) did you find a(t) tha(t) site?
 RULE# 4: T is held before N in –tain and ten endings.

Mountain Bitten
Fountain Kitten
Shorten Written
Kindergarten Fatten
Eaten Rotten
 LET’S PRACTICE!
Say:
 We tried to shorten the kindergarten class.
 Courtney had written about the fountain of
youth.
 The sumo wrestlers had eaten well to fatten up.
 Mark’s rotten kitten has bitten Martin.
RULE 2: Silent T after N with lax vowels.

T and N are so close in the mouth that the “T” can simply disappear. Read
the following sentences out loud. Make sure that Ts are silent.

 He interrupted twenty interviews in Toronto.

“He innerupt’d twenny innerviews in Tranno.”

 He won’t even interfere with the interaction.

“He won nev’n innerfere with the inneraction.”

 DO THIS ACTIVITY

Following the five rules of the American “T”.

Record and read the following sentences.