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For the second word of each pair, the final “held t” interrupts and shortens the preceding consonant.
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no t |
t |
| 1. |
can |
can’t |
| 2. |
fall |
fault |
| 3. |
star |
start |
| 4. |
men |
meant |
| 5. |
fell |
felt |
| 6. |
car |
cart |
Did you say can or can’t?
The silent t is one of the reasons why you may have a hard time hearing the difference between the words “can” and “can’t.” Listen for the held “t” for “can’t.” Also the vowel in the word “can’t” is usually longer because negative auxiliaries are stressed more than affirmative auxiliaries within sentences. You can learn more about word stress in Chapter Six.
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