This chapter will help you fix the most common consonant errors that non-native speakers of English make. In some cases, the pronunciation of these sounds is exclusive to American English; in other cases, correct pronunciation can be difficult for a non-native speaker if that particular sound does not exist in his or her native language.

The Various t Sounds of American English

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
Hugh Downs

We’ll start with one of the most distinctly American consonants, the letter t. The t can be pronounced in several different ways, depending on its position in a word and depending on the other sounds that surround it. Sometimes tsounds more like a d (as in water and atom), and sometimes it is not pronounced at all (as in often and interview). Other times it’s barely pronounced as in but and cat. Also, it can change to a different sound when it is followed by an r sound, as in try or truth.

The Held t

As a simple awareness exercise, let’s first practice saying the /t/ sound so that you get a feeling of where in the mouth it occurs. Repeat saying the t: “ttttt.” You will notice that the tip of your tongue is touching and releasing your gum ridge, which is the upper part of your mouth, right behind your front teeth. Try it again: “ttttt.” This is what we call a fully pronounced t. The tongue touches and releases.

Now say the following two words which end with a t: cat, right.

Say them again; this time do not release the t. Just let your tongue stay on top, touching the gum ridge, with no air coming out when you say the t. This is called the “held t.” The other way to make this kind of silent t is just to press the vocal cords together to stop the airflow, and then release.

The letter t is generally held at the end of words and before consonants within words. This “held t” is very common in American English. Using it will help you to sound more like a native speaker since non-native speakers almost always tend to release the t when speaking English.

Note: You will sometimes hear Americans release the final t. If they do, it’s usually at the end of a phrase or a sentence, or for special emphasis of a word. For example: “That’s great!” “It’s so hot!”  There is no absolute rule about always holding the t, but keep in mind that if you release the t at the end of every word, it will sound like a foreign accent.