Why do people not pronounce the T word?
The phenomenon itself is known as “T-glottalization.” It occurs when a speaker swallows the T sound in a word rather than speaking it aloud. We hear it when words like “kitten” and “water” are pronounced like “KIH-en” and “WAH-er.” Let’s talk about how this happens, and whether we should expect more of it.
Why is the T silent in often?
A: The short answer is that the “t” in many words is silent because it’s too difficult or awkward to pronounce and has become assimilated into the surrounding consonants. As we said in our blog posting about “often,” the word can be properly pronounced either with or without a “t” sound.
Do you pronounce the T in fasten?
It is not silent. The t in “fasten” is pronounced. It is not silent. The pronunciation rule for the t in “often” has changed over the past 300 years.
Why do Americans not pronounce their t?
Usually, Americans don’t even say a t. We use a sound called a glottal stop, written in IPA as ʔ (not a question mark, but similar). A glottal stop means cutting off the air at the glottis (in your throat) rather than with your tongue tip. MANY languages do this, but far from all.
Why do British people not pronounce TS?
British people pronounce the T sound. Your assumption for this question is incorrect. However, in English, the letter represents a phoneme [t] that is allophonic, meaning it has multiple sounds, so depending on the word and the dialect of the speaker, the [t] sound may change to something else (just for that word).
Is the T pronounced in important?
Important, with two fully pronounced True T’s. Dictionaries haven’t really caught up when it comes to the habits of Americans and the pronunciation of the letter T. ‘Important’ is way over-pronounced.
Is it wrong to pronounce the T in often?
A: The word “often” can be pronounced with a silent “t” (the more common pronunciation) or with an audible “t.” How “correct” is the second pronunciation? That depends on the dictionary you consult. Both are correct, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.).
How is February pronounced?
In the United States, the most common pronunciation is feb-yoo-air-ee. Both Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries consider the common pronunciation correct, along with the less common, more traditional standard feb-roo-air-ee. This gets fans of the traditional standard all worked up.
Which letter is silent in ghost?
There are many common words in English that contain the pair of letters ‘gh’. ‘Gh’ can be pronounced /g/ (like ‘goat’), /f/ (like ‘fun’) or it can be silent, but in that case it will affect the vowels that come before it.
What is it called when t sounds like D?
Remain a regularly aspirated ‘t sound’ /t/ Be pronounced like a quick /d/ (also called an alveolar tap) represented as /t̬/ Become a glottal stop /ʔ/
Why do Brits say free instead of three?
If you drop the “th” and say something like “FREE,” you’re probably from London or the South East. The result is surprising because data from 60 years ago shows there was broad agreement in England in favour of “THREE.” Only North Londoners said “FREE.” (The historic data was collected only from England.)
Is the T silent in ‘often’?
Generally the ‘t’ is silent like in ‘hasten’ and ‘soften’ but today some people still pronounce it. Learn more about the changing pronunciation of ‘often.’ Often has a medial /t/ that, like similar words such has ‘hasten’ and ‘soften,’ was once pronounced and is now typically silent.
What are the most commonly mispronounced words in American English?
13 most commonly mispronounced words in American English—and the right way to say them. 1 1. Anyway. EH-nee-way. 2 2. Tenet. 3 3. Comptroller. 4 4. Coup de grâce. 5 5. Electoral.
Why is English so hard to pronounce?
English can get really problematic when it comes to public speaking, because it’s crammed with so many words that almost all of us have struggled to pronounce at least once or twice. As writers of several grammar books, we’ve heard many words mispronounced over the years.
Why is the word prostate mispronounced with one R?
This word is often mispronounced without an “r,” because it’s commonly confused with the word “prostate.” For the record, prostrate with two “r” letters means lying face down, and prostate with one “r” refers to a male organ.