Consonant Sound Flap 'T' / t̬ / as in "water" - American English Pronunciation

This consonant sound can be confusing, but if you pronounce it in the right way at the right time, you'll sound way more like an American.
In this video, you'll find out how to make the flap 'T' /t̬/ consonant, and when and why it's used in words.
You'll practice making this sound with a pronunciation exercise recorded by a speech-language pathologist, specializing in an American accent.
Just so you know, we have a website: soundsamerican.net/
Quick Links:
• Consonant sound Flap 'T' /t̬/, as in "water:" 00:00
• "Regular" 'T' vs Flap 'T': 00:20
• What is a Flap 'T' sound? 00:55
• When does the Flap 'T' occur? 01:51
• Why do Americans pronounce the Flap 'T'? 02:10
• How to make the Flap 'T' /t̬/ sound: 02:28
• Pronunciation exercise: 03:39
Related Videos:
#AmericanPronunciation #ConsonantSounds #StopSounds
►Stop Sounds Overview
• Stop Sounds Overview -...
► Consonant Sound / p / as in "pie"
• Consonant Sound / p / ...
► Consonant Sound /b/ as in "boy"
• Consonant Sound / b / ...
► Consonant Sound /t/ as in "toy"
• Consonant Sound / t / ...
► Consonant Sound Glottal 'T' /ʔ/ as in "button"
• Consonant Sound Glotta...
► Consonant Sound /d/ as in "dog"
• Consonant Sound / d / ...
► Consonant Sound /k/ as in "key"
• Consonant Sound / k / ...
► Consonant Sound /g/ as in "gift"
• Consonant Sound / g / ...
[THIS VIDEO HAS ENGLISH, SPANISH, CHINESE, JAPANESE, VIETNAMESE, PORTUGUESE, AND RUSSIAN SUBTITLES]
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TRANSCRIPT
Hello there! This is the "Sounds American" channel.
In this video, we're going to talk about the flap 'T' sound, as in the word "water."
You can also hear this sound in words like "city," "butter," "title" or "kitty."
Now listen to how these words sound with a "regular" 'T':
"city," "butter," "title," "kitty."
Can you hear a difference?
In American English, these words are pronounced with the flap 'T'.
There's nothing wrong with using a "regular" 'T', it just sounds a little less American and more British. And there's nothing wrong with British English.
So, if you have more important things to work on for your pronunciation, you may skip the rest of this video.
If you'd like to fine-tune your American accent, keep watching.
So, what exactly is the flap 'T' sound?
If you watched the Stop Sounds Overview video, you may remember that there are six stop consonants in American English.
And yet, here's one more stop sound.
No, it's not a mistake.
The flap 'T' is somewhere between the /t/ and the /d/ sounds. It's basically the /t/ sound which is pronounced in a different way in certain positions in a word.
The thing is, when the /t/ occurs between voiced sounds, it sounds more like a quick /d/: "water."
When does it happen?
When the /t/ is between two vowels, as vowel sounds are always voiced:
"Betty," "dated," "writer"
Or between a vowel and a voiced consonant sound:
"little," "metal," "bottom."
Why does it happen?
Because it's easier to continue voicing rather than switching to a voiceless /t/ sound. For example, "bet" - "Betty".
Speaking about voicing, it's time to learn how to make the flap 'T' and find out whether it's similar or different from the /t/ and the /d/ sounds.
Just like for the /t/ or the /d/ sounds,
slightly open your mouth and leave your lips in a neutral position.
Now, you have to stop the air in your mouth.
Again, do it the same way as for the /t/ or the /d/:
Place the tip of your tongue on the alveolar ridge behind your upper front teeth.
Next, release the air and add your voice.
This is where the flap 'T' may sound similar to the /d/ sound, but the flap 'T' is quicker.
The flap 'T' is also called a "tap" 'T' because it describes how your tongue quickly taps your alveolar ridge, so focus on making a brief voiced sound, much like a fast /d/.
Now, let's try saying it: /t̬/, /t̬/, /t̬/.
[Pronunciation exercise]
Time to do some practice exercises.
As usual, you’ll see a word on the screen and hear its pronunciation. Like this.
You’ll have a few seconds to pronounce the word. Don't skip this part, as the more time you practice, the better your pronunciation will become.
Let’s begin!
• auto
• artist
• beauty
• data
• duty
• party
• pity
• forty
• later
• editor
• motor
• graffiti
• liberty
• visitor
• daughter
• dramatic
• authority
• computer
• attic
• pretty
• matter
• better
• butter
• cottage
• committee
• little
• battle
• bottle
• cattle
• turtle
You're done! Congratulations!
Give us a thumbs up if you liked this video.
Share this video with your friends and don't forget to subscribe!

[@SoundsAmerican]

🎉Great news!🎉 Our brand new Sounds American website is up and running!🚀🎊 There's lots of content on pronunciation.🤓You can start with the article about the /t̬/ sound: soundsamerican.net/article/consonant_sound_flapt_t_as_in_water

[@felixmoragajimenez5523]

Thanks a lot for your work! I see you noy upload videos for 3 years ago, what happend?

[@Cr3reeper]

​@@felixmoragajimenez5523 a wild guess, he ran out of vowels to make videos on?

[@pronunciacionconben]

Tip for Spanish and Italian speakers. The Flap T is represented by the letter R in Spanish and Italian. For instance, "pero" in Spanish and "caro" in Italian. Portuguese speakers also have this sound in words like "para" or "garoto". And in Slavic languages with the Cyrillic alphabet, it's represented by the letter р, for instance "розoв". I hope that helps! :)

[@TheTheDoctorWho]

So it's like waRer, BeRRer?

[@pronunciacionconben]

@@TheTheDoctorWho If writing it like that helps, then yeah, go ahead!

[@albertofumagalli2383]

Not exactly this way, but It helps.

[@pronunciacionconben]

@@albertofumagalli2383 Absolutely! It’s not quite the same but it helps.

[@Oscar-im2xi]

whats the difference when you say them? everywhere it says they’re exactly same sound but i can definitely hear the difference, but i don’t know how to say the tapped r

[@saidfarid6382]

Hello professor Thank you so much for your priceless advice and interesting guidance. I love your way of teaching and excellent explanation. I really appreciate your job. I wish you peace and happiness under the sky of prosperity. Your Student from Algeria.

[@frostyheaven8612]

Been waiting for this video. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Frosty Heaven, you're welcome! 😀🖖

[@invariablyliveliness8278]

First of all I would like to Thank KZbin video channel. I have learnt almost American accent and all features of English pronunciation like stress, rhythm, connected speech, linking, thought groups, pauses, and intonation. With all these wonderful people contribution , really a common adult who can not afford to pay money but having strong will to learn Standard english pronunciation has been possible. First time in my life, I wish I had made a video to support somebody to learn English pronunciation.

[@alexanderbrown4250]

In American English for the word learned, we say "learnd," not "learnt." The "n" at the end of learn is voiced, so if we follow rules of pronunciation, the "ed" is pronounced "d," not "t." Same for the word burned. In British English, they say burnt. We say burnd. Keep practicing!

[@MrRoibel]

Amazingly you make a great job .. I give you my thanks heartfelt .. It is sort of teaching I have been searching all my life ... that teaching me how pronounce the word correctly thanks to jehovah I found and next to you again May God Jah bless you , teacher

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Roibel Roman , 😀👍👋

[@marquitomd]

This sound used to be very hard for me to pronounce. I heard it a lot of times in american movies and series, and tried to copy it. I practised and practised and finally improved it. It was really hard because I knew it was different from regular "t", but I didn't know how to look for a tutorial because didn't know this sound's name. It was frustrating haha. I'm kinda proud to say I got by myself a very similar pronunciation to the one you explain in this video. But now after watching your video I feel like I mastered this sound! Hahaha cheers to you all, and thank you again for this splendid work!

[@nzenguemayombogolden2660]

I'm 'cridicized' by my 'bridish' friends because of this sound! And when I say 'liderally' they're just pissed off ! So, 'way d go' if you improved it ! Soon, you will not be able d ged away from it! ( So basically, this is how often the flat T occurs in real life speech)

[@chiliagonn9967]

@@nzenguemayombogolden2660 you're right, all in all the T letter is the most common used letter in English

[@sasino]

For me, it's hard in some words, including "artist", "party", "liberty", basically all words that have the "rt" cluster :(

[@ericremarque2631]

Thank you so much. I have downloaded all your videos and used them to teach my students. I am eager to have more videos. Besides clear explanations the charts are very useful, which helps fix pronunciation mistakes. It is interesting to see that my students say correctly and happily while watching your lessons.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+eric remarque , you're welcome! More videos are coming, stay tuned! We're glad that our videos are useful for teachers and we'd like to have more teachers in our community. If you have any suggestions for topics that can be useful for your students, let us know! Let's stay in touch.

[@quynh9926]

Your channel is the best. The lessons are way too informative and comprehensive. Thanks for the effort.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad you think so!

[@fredrickwokorach1990]

I just love the way it was explain you made it easier and mostly the examples.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+ fredrick wokorach Glad to hear that! 👋

[@Tartiv]

Man I'm so happy your channel exists! You're amazing! Keep up the good work!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Tartcake Thank you :). Glad you like Sounds American. 😀👋

[@speakenglishwithaditya415]

Thanks for passing on the important Info in the beginning. Skipped the video. Will go over Flap "T" later.

[@phucuongnguyen5096]

Hi Sounds American, thank you for the great video. The /Flap T/ may also sound similar to /d/ sound - quick /d/ - in Vietnamese. So I seem to pronounce /Flap T/ easier.

[@ArielVisionary]

What a good explanation! Well done.

[@Still-learningEkhonoshikhchhi]

At last I got this channel for learning American accent.

[@maig1412]

This is indeed an amazing lesson.It has helped me a lot! Congrats....

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad to hear that!

[@mohamedkatri4908]

Thanks for making such a great video; I still struggle with this sound. Hopefully I will master it soon.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Mohamed Katri You're welcome! Of course you will, practice makes perfect!

[@sergiobenitez1468]

Men, I love the dedication you put in this channel, and also, how practical your videos are.... There is not as much channels like this, thank you very very so fucking much

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Sergio Benitez , 😀 Glad you liked our channel so much! Stay tuned!🖖👋

[@ceic65]

dear Sergio first no need to be so rude, second revise your English it sucks

[@pilgrimofindia2024]

Great tutorials to improve pronunciation in English, from watching your videos I realized ny mistakes, and thus improved my American English pronunciation. 😀. Friend you are doing great job, thank you 😊. Take care. All the best 👍.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad to hear that! Let us know if you have any questions!

[@carlosabreu3950]

Hellow, I'm from Dominican Republic. The flap T definitely sounds exactly the R sound in words like "caro" (expensive) and "barato" (cheap). in my native languague spanish.

[@MsMRkv]

Ya me hice bolas jajaja, en 3:34 no suena como la r que usamos en español. Por eso me preguntó si es realmente el mismo sonido.

[@neyarshilgne9481]

I was very eager to watch that video. I was waiting for it for a long time for the American fast "d". Thank you very much.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Neyar Shilgne , you're welcome! Glad to hear from you! :)

[@neyarshilgne9481]

Sounds American I am sure my students will like it very much too. It is very useful. Thank you so much 😊

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Neyar Shilgne 🖖😉

[@emmam4608]

As a native American speaker I find this very interesting. I love relearning how we actually speak because it is so different than the rest of English speaking countries.

[@SoundsAmerican]

😊👋

[@emanelmasry1767]

Good job and thank you it really helped me

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Eman elmasry , glad it was helpful!

[@dan17svsaenz2]

I really like this video, it's so helpful

[@SoundsAmerican]

+ Dan17sv Saenz Glad to hear that! 😀👋

[@truongbinh8261]

Thank you for the video and your work behind !!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Truong Binh, you're welcome! Glad you like it!

[@sriratdecha8809]

Thank you!

[@pinhxemuyenpinh415]

so cool. thanks for your video.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad you liked it!

[@camanejito434]

This video is amazing....Thank you.

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're welcome! Glad you liked this one too!

[@bigpiglove]

Thnak you very much! You did such a greate present for all of us!

[@SoundsAmerican]

😁👋

[@bigpiglove]

@@SoundsAmerican By the way, do you have any lesson about stop t, like in the words can't, fit, hot, etc.? And what about this app you use in the video? Where we can find it? :)

[@SoundsAmerican]

Yes, we do, here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o33PoKeMlJWXiKs About the app - we're using our own app which is not released to the public yet, but we're working on it and hopefully it'll happen soon. :)

[@amyonedomingues9274]

I loved it! Thanks

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carineott995]

Great! Thank you so much!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Carine Ott, you're welcome!👋

[@sharif6378]

I really loved this

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad to hear that!

[@lucianacosta3904]

Thanks!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+luciana Costa , you're welcome! 😀👋

[@MuhammadAli-gg8ww]

Thanks a lot

[@ossamaalbitar9559]

Thanks alot!

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're welcome!

[@gulsunakgun5479]

That is a great video!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Gülsün Akgün , glad you liked it!

[@user-ys1uh5yp5b]

thank you. Now I understand the winter. But for “return” t between two vowels. but why I heard people say t not d.

[@SoundsAmerican]

In "return" the letter 't' is at the beginning of the second syllable, so it's pronounced as a regular aspirated /t/ sound.

[@arthursmorethanenglish2808]

Hello. Congrats on your material. I think you forgot to mention a flap t will never occur if it is part of the stressed syllable. Ex: attack. A very good example, for the same reason, is the first t in potato: (first t) full t and (second t may be a flap t) flap t. I read people trying to find a difference in sound between a flap t and a flap d. It might me useful to let them know they have the same sound: metal/medal, latter/ladder… Once again, Congrats!

[@user-dx2wz9tt8i]

Thanks a lot. very helpful

[@saudwolf9226]

Good job

[@AmarjeetSingh-hq7df]

It is very nice for practising pronunciation

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Amar jeet Singh Glad that our video is helpful!

[@biniyamtesfaye8214]

I love this channel so bad. It is an amazing channel to learn English. I have learnt a lot. Keep it up guys! I have some questions on the rule of pronouncing the flap t though. Does this rule apply to t occuring between voiced sounds at the end of two words? As in "get it"? Is the t in words like nineteen, center, eighteen pronounced as flap t?

[@SoundsAmerican]

Yes, you're right, the same rule applies when the letter 'T' occurs between words with voiced sounds and ends a word, it can be pronounced as a Flap /t̬/. In the words "nineteen" and "eighteen," the letter 'T' is pronounced as a regular /t/, because it starts the second syllables: /ˌnaɪnˈtin/ and /ˌeɪˈtin/. In the word "center," the /t/ is often dropped, as it follows the /n/ sound: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3ezk3-Ziqill7M . Hope it helps!

[@biniyamtesfaye8214]

@@SoundsAmerican thank you so much!

[@fmlandaburu]

I´m awaiting for a website interface to practice my pronunciation and compare it with Sounds American´s

[@awa7594]

This channel is so precious by far in English that shows on youtube.

[@juniorgil9656]

That sound is exactly an r sound other languages like Spanish, Portuguese, Italian... etc but not for the double r it represents in those languages.

[@derp4317]

no, it's just similiar

[@Ivan_Saul]

It sounds like the /r/ sound to me Well, sort of. In Spanish, there're two sounds for the /R/; one is very strong, and the other one is weaker and softer. We normally describe them like R (erre) and r (ere), which don't exist in English, of course; however, the 'r' is pretty similar to the flap t. I always hear and pronounce it like that. Have you guys heard about that before? I hope so. Nice video, btw. :)

[@johanlibert2866]

The same story, It sounds like an arabic R too, everytime I hear it, it sounds like an R to me but not an american R, I know that the american R. the tip of the tongue never touch the alveolar ridge but this Flap T I don't hear any d sound on it, I hear just an spanish/ arabic maybe japaness or chiness 'R'.

[@user-wo3yf6oi2l]

she's saying the same thing - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGKUgqxqmbFpbck but don't pronounce this sound like that guy in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIHCYmOYed2UjNE (it sounds way too weird. but that's just me)

[@rodrigomartinso.s.9902]

They're somehow similar, but they're definitely different sounds.

[@ieroine]

Right! I was listening to it and thinking this is R sound

[@PROinteresting]

It just seems. In fact, a tongue has different positions in both cases. Try to say ''water'' and ''park'' by comparing.

[@randomdude7384]

The same's with the word auto, been saying "a-tou" my whole life

[@fidelagbossame2058]

Hi Sir! Can't thank you enough for your great work. Keep going! As an English learner I have a serious difficulty with the pronunciation. And your channel comes right on point. Thanks! We also be very glad if you can share with us any app name that can help us to master the american pronunciation. There are a lot of them on play store, but I can reassure you I have been trying most of them and none has yet met my expectations. Thanks!

[@SoundsAmerican]

Thank you for your kind words about our channel! The best app is the one we're working on right now. :) It's not released yet, but we plan to make it happen soon. Stay tuned!

[@fidelagbossame2058]

@@SoundsAmerican Great!!! We will. Thanks so much! 🙏

[@nasserabobakr8577]

@@SoundsAmerican we're waiting for a tool where we can record our voice then compare it and correct it

[@sameersalihy7546]

Very good

[@SoundsAmerican]

+sameer salihy, already? 😲😀

[@akba3966]

Great video! Would it be possible to have a video where you compare pronunciation of words with flap T and D, for example Metal vs Medal. Is there a difference in pronunciation? Thank you!

[@SoundsAmerican]

Thank you for your suggestion!

[@lefteloosey5608]

I believe the flap sound is identical regardless of whether it is spelled with a T or a D. Thus, metal and medal sound identical in American English

[@marialuciaramosdasilva4737]

Oi meu amigo eu estou aqui lendo os recursos da gramática realmente é muito importante para mim que eu não tenho como não aprender sem essa gramática isso é preciso ter gramaticais sem entender nada como podemos fazer a leitura do texto do livro será impossível escrever um livro um textos com gramática isso é bom

[@marcoantoniomoralescruz2645]

This is my favorite sound. Some of my students cannot produce It at the beginning since it takes time and more practice for them.

[@naifayed]

First of all thank you for your amazing videos, is the Flap T voicless or voice or between? And Thank you again and I wish you have been uploaded thies video 10years ago. You do not how much you helped me.

[@SoundsAmerican]

The flap 'T' is a voiced sound. Like the /d/, for example. Happy to hear that our video was helpful. 🤗

[@mohamedredhaosmani7660]

the hardest sound EVER

[@mohamedunderscore1234]

Thank a lot, the illustrations make it much easier I don't know why your videos appear on top when searching

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're welcome 😊

[@arwahsapi]

In UK we often pronounce it "wo-ah" (with glottal T)

[@tadders2172]

maybe if you're from cockney lol

[@juanmanuelmoramontes3883]

Well it's true, not only ppl with strong cockney accent do, it's common that British people don't pronounce the t sound sometimes, like «wei'ing», «be'uh» or even «bo'al»

[@eazzywilliam7666]

When it comes down to pronouncing words correctly you're the best! No kidding! I wish I could have you as a friend in order to meet or see you one day. 👊👊👊

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Eazzy William , Thank you :) 🖖

[@chanmall7906]

I can't pronounce words like monitor and janitor because of the N sound but I'm totally fine with the rest of the words with the flap T that don't have an N before it.

[@dawnpresenter2753]

thanks teacher by the way i want to know something is there any symbol for the consonant sound flap t in the dictionary like any sound I mean distinctive symbol different from the usual symbol for the consonant t sound to get be able to differentiate between both in pronouncing

[@yufangwang4755]

Wonderful. It's really very useful and helpful. Thank you so much. What's the name of the application for the practice in the video, please ?

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're very welcome! Glad you liked our videos! We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!

[@josemiguelfloresbaldera8099]

Hello, Sounds American... I have watched most of your videos and they are just great... You're doing an excellent... Keep it up! However, I wonder if you could please make some videos on the "sh", "ch", "j/ge" or "zh" sounds in words like (sure, church, age, vision). Thanks in advance!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+José Miguel Flores Baldera , hello there! Thank you, glad to hear you like our videos. Yes, of course, we plan to make videos for those sounds next year. Thank you for your suggestion!

[@josemiguelfloresbaldera8099]

Sounds American. Thanks a lot.. I really appreciate it... I'm from the Dominican Republic and I'm a teacher here... I will recommend this channel to my students as well.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+José Miguel Flores Baldera , 👍 thank you! If you have any other suggestions or questions, let us know!

[@TheMasterPoke]

The video design and how it flows smoothly is impressive! It looks like you're using a very well-designed app to do the lesson! How do you do that? I'm very curious!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+TheMasterPoke, if you mean the tools, we use Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premier and lots of others. We also use our own app for the pronunciation exercise.

[@TheMasterPoke]

Can the app be downloaded?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+TheMasterPoke , we haven't released it yet, it's still work in progress. We plan to do it soon and will announce the release on this channel. So, please, stay tuned! :)

[@JoseGonzalez-es4oq]

can you help me out? why do we use the phonetic transcription /d/ con la flap T, as in some dictionaries?

[@smokystar6701]

Hey what app or website do you use to make your video? I love your vids because i can look at the image to see how to make the sounds instead of listening to people explain how it works

[@SoundsAmerican]

Glad to hear you like our videos! We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!

[@assayedvip]

I like the flapped T. It is a very distinctive sound in American English. 👍🏻

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Engineer X , it is indeed. One of the most prominent American English sounds.

[@fitness12329]

hi , thanks for your great lessons, i take your teachings so seriously, do you have a website? if you do, could you share the link?

[@SoundsAmerican]

No, we don't have a web site just yet.

[@miltoncaram7656]

You are a wonderful teacher. Do you teach online?

[@SoundsAmerican]

That's possible, just send your request at packardcommunications.com/

[@pacifist_SA]

I struggled a lot when the r came before the t! My tongue got stuck and confused each time the R before the T 😂😂

[@SoundsAmerican]

+ Roozy am Happens to a lot of students when they practice these sounds :). Don't worry, you just need to practice it a little more. Keep us posted on the progress, though!

[@dimipovkorosov5550]

Am I out of the woods of the pronunciation of "t"? am I in the clear yet? Yes! Good!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Dimipov Korosov , glad to hear that! There will be one more video on a related topic :).

[@CharafeddineMARZOUQ]

thnx

[@SoundsAmerican]

+MOLOUK ZEN9A TV You're welcome!

[@ArielVisionary]

Good explanations and practice. When students learn to count to 100 by 10s, I teach them to make the /t/ sound at the end of the word when they say twenty, but the flap /t/ sound for thirty and forty, and then the /t/for fifty and sixty, and then flap /t/ for seventy, eighty and ninety. Not sure what rules apply there. Do you know?

[@SoundsAmerican]

It's the same rule, the letter 'T' is pronounced as the flap 'T' sound (/t̬/) when it's between two voiced sounds and appears at the end of a stressed syllable. Hope this helps!

[@thien1564]

I have a question, around 2:20 when you pronounce "bet", why the "t" sounds stressed? In the previous lesson I thought that it should be unaspirated. Thank you for these amazing lessons, can't wait to buy the app!!

[@SoundsAmerican]

When words are pronounced in isolation, some people may have difficulties recognizing unaspirated stop sounds at the end of words, that's why some common words are often pronounced with aspiration in our exercises.

[@lauravasquezhijar8116]

Hello, good video. Excuse, I have a question: When I have a vowel sound (tense or relax) in the first syllable and the second syllable begins with flat /t/ or another consonant sounds (depending this is voised sound or unvoised sound), this second syllable would change the pronunciation of the vowel sound in the first syllable?? For example in this word: Dated, its phonetic is /'deī-tīd/ (the first sound in the second syllable is the flat t, this sound influences in the vowel sound eī, doing the /eī/ sound more long or shorted? Thanks

[@SoundsAmerican]

You're asking a great question. According to the Vowel Length rule, a vowel sound is longer before a voiced consonant and shorter before a voiceless one. The length of a vowel before the Flap 'T' sound is an interesting case. It is a voiced sound, but it's still a variant for the /t/, which is a voiceless consonant. So, the vowel before it will be shorter than, for example, before a regular /d/ sound, although they sound practically the same. By the way, this is the only way to distinguish the Flap 'T' and the /d/ sounds. Hope it helps!

[@MathOnMain]

First of all, let me thank you for the great channel; i'm afraid i need additional help, however. There are words with the "flap t" that I find specially difficult to pronounce, where the flap the is adjacent to the "r" consonant or to a rhotic vowel, any suggestions on how to improve my pronunciation in those cases? Thanks in advance.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Hello there! Glad you like our channel! We recommend concentrating on making the /d/ sound, and the Flap 'T' (/t̬/), this should be easier. You probably won't have difficulty with the /d/ followed by /r/ or rhotic vowel sounds. Please let us know if this helps!

[@MathOnMain]

@@SoundsAmerican Thank you for your answer, It indeed helps when the /t̬/ is followed by a rhotic vowel, not so much when it's preceded by /r/ or a rhotic vowel, but doing the practice again i think i found what helps me in that case: Pretending the /t̬/ doesn't exist. Don't know if that makes sense but i think it works for me.

[@pssilva3973]

try to pronounce the flap /t/ like an soft /d/. For example, "party" like "pardy"; "particle" like "pardicle"; "theater" like "theader" and so on.

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

It's like an alveolar tap

[@felipewallace8936]

It's very very very hard to say that. It sound almost the portuguese R, but it's not the same sound, actually. It's something like half T and half D. The American accent is harder than british one, but I like and love both.

[@Jane-vd1ul]

Thank you! The Wikipedia page on the subject (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flapping) has such a long-winded discussion and doesn't commit to a definitive phonological rule.

[@1DENich1]

I was wondering, why do they teach only regular 'T' at the beginning. It might be much easier to get acquainted with flap 'T' at the beginning and not to learn from scratch how to pronounce simple words after several years of learning English.

[@addielponce7533]

You are totally right

[@ksugiarto9057]

they need to start with reɡular t because flap t miɡht ɡet mixed up with stop t or ɾ

[@sofia_miniatures548]

Thank you so much. Is it applicable to all words with T letters?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Sofia Yaz kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5OQhnyhqtyCmrc

[@ariastutik2558]

could you give me the references of the book about flap t

[@aidentang29]

How about the vowel length before the flap t?For example,does the i vowel longer in the word kitty than the word kit?Thanks for your help,sir!

[@SoundsAmerican]

The flap 'T' is a positional variation of the voiceless 'T' sound, so a vowel would be shorter before the flap 'T'.

[@iraklivalishvili7201]

Can you make video from Glottal stop

[@SoundsAmerican]

+John Smith, yes, that's going to be our next video. Stay tuned!

[@Surkee]

I swear to god, pronoucing the flap t is easy but I can NEVER pronounce water correctly. It"s literally the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

[@SoundsAmerican]

What exactly makes it so difficult?

[@Surkee]

Sounds American I don't know, it just sounds nothing like how Americans pronounce it. I think I just have to practice more.

[@SoundsAmerican]

😊 Sure, practice always helps. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions, okay?

[@Surkee]

Sounds American Sure! Thanks for replying!

[@SoundsAmerican]

+AmateurKZbinr 😀👋🖖

[@osmar5800]

I literally don't know how to say artist like that, it's so freaking hard

[@SoundsAmerican]

Do you have difficulties with the voiced /d/ sound? If you are able to pronounce /d/, then the flap 'T' won't be a huge problem, as it's pronounced the same way, but just made "quicker" or more brief.

[@michaelmichael121]

Hi.>,

[@SoundsAmerican]

+MICHAEL MICHAEL , hello there! No, the tip of the tongue doesn't touch the back of your teeth to make the flap 'T' sound. The flap 'T' is a positional variant of the /t/ sound, so you make it in a similar way, but with adding your voice. To make the flap 'T,' you should put the tip of your tongue on the alveolar ridge ABOVE your upper front teeth (more detailed instructions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5OQhnyhqtyCmrc). No, the sound that Americans make in words "middle," "order," and "ordinary" is the /d/, not the flap 'T.' The flap it is not a substitution for the /d/, it's a positional variant of the /t/, meaning that it's used when the /t/ (NOT the /d/ sound!) occurs in certain positions in words: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5OQhnyhqtyCmrc Hope it helps, let us know if you have any questions!

[@michaelmichael121]

You teach very well,very specific.hope you will get more subscribers.💪🏿

[@Amanda-le8lm]

most of the flap Ts are ok, but I just can't do the ones that come after the r consonant!!

[@rodrigomarenco9450]

Man, as a teacher, I'd totally pay for an app like this.

[@SoundsAmerican]

We're working hard to release our app soon!

[@juhua7065]

@@SoundsAmerican Please do, I'm an English teach in China and I've been showing our adult students the IPA video series and it has helped them tremendously

[@sghaiermohamed2905]

I can make the flap in words like cit̬y or mot̬or. but I find it impossible to produce it after an R-Colored vowel like liberty or Turtle. I just can't gather enough momentum on the tip of my mouth. But... I figured if hit the alveolar ridge by the lower side of my tongue ( as in the Retroflex Tap ⟨ɽ⟩ ) It become do-able and somewhat passable. What I am asking is. Is the t̬ in turtle and city exactly the same ? or is there a subtle difference ?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+sghaier mohamed , hello there! Yes, the /t̬/ is the same in words "turtle" and "city." Here's a tip that may help you make it in these words: split the word into syllables and pronounced them separately. For example, "tur - tle" /ˈtɝ·t̬l̩/, "li - ber - ty" /ˈlɪb·ɚ·t̬i/. (The · denotes a syllable division). When you separate the flap 'T' from the r-colored vowels in this words, it'll be easier to practice it. Hope it helps!

[@sghaiermohamed2905]

Thanks for the response ! I eventually became able to do it after a lot of attempts. It's like a two-syllable tongue-twister. I am surprised how many people pronounce these words without even thinking about it, but I guess practice makes perfect.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+sghaier mohamed, good! Yes, absolutely, practice makes perfect. However, a lot of non-native speakers mispronounce this sound, they just don't know they do. :)

[@Sabrewolf0]

Sounds American do you pronounce the flap T after "l" sound? I don't know if my ear is lying me but I think I've heard the sound in words like "holding" and I can't remember more right now

[@kaushalmurya8700]

Could you please give us the link of your American app sir It can also help us please.

[@SoundsAmerican]

We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!

[@namesiiva]

In some words i still hear a sound more like strong R (similar to russian R) and pronounce it in the same way..damn, this is hard.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Слава Солнцева , it's definitely not /r/ 😀. Practice makes perfect, you'll get there!

[@randomdude7384]

Are the sounds /a/ and /o/ more or less interchangeable to an extent in the American English? Word to my mother I've been saying wAter for my whole life, is it a case of mispronunciation or is it like okay to pronounce this word both ways? It seems like some people even say An instead of On, not sure if it's correct though.

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Cosmic Disco Good question. We made a couple posts on this topic in KZbin community just last week. Check them out :).

[@Mr.GreenBee.Ongsiengnang]

March 21, 2020

[@angelvargas6786]

the tongue touches the upper teeth or is it a little separated and something else, the air that comes out is internal, right?

[@SoundsAmerican]

We never said that the tongue touches the upper teeth, because it doesn't. Here's how this sound is pronounced: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5OQhnyhqtyCmrc The tip of the tongue quickly touches the alveolar ridge (the ridge behind the upper front teeth) to stop the air and release it.

[@madridista1902]

btw if you're making these "T" videos you should make a video about "stop T" in words like "Britain"

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Damn Son, yes, sir! Working on that. 👮

[@rb5519]

kiddun!

[@sijunli8927]

A very good video, and when will you update the dark L sound?

[@SoundsAmerican]

+sijun li , thank you! We'll make the video on the "dark /L/" next year. Stay tuned!

[@sijunli8927]

Sounds American thank you very much, I am waiting for that , 😊

[@SoundsAmerican]

+sijun li , 👋👍

[@edvideojuegosycultura3712]

Hello, teacher. I mastered this sound but can I pronounce the flap t after an 'r' as in 'started'? Can I use the flap t after an 'n' as in 'contaminating'

[@SoundsAmerican]

+Kess Mynus Hello there, The second 't' in the word "started" is indeed a flap t, because it occurs between vowel sounds. In the word "contaminating" it's the regular /t/ though. Hope it helps!

[@edvideojuegosycultura3712]

@@SoundsAmerican Thank you, teacher.

[@nzenguemayombogolden2660]

If you learn word stress, you will make the flap 'audoMAdically'! So it's 'conTAminading'. 'AdiTude' (1srt stress on A and 2nd in Tu)... Although, yeah it possible to flat after the n or m but only if T is not part of the stressed syllable AND if you speak fast enough! Eg: I wanted him to be supportive= I WANned'im'd'be suPPOrdive!...👌🏽

[@user-ys1uh5yp5b]

hello. Then how can you explain winter and return？I am so confusing

[@SoundsAmerican]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3ezk3-Ziqill7M

[@marleny750]

I have a question: you said when the /t̬/ is between a vowel and a voiced consonant as in metal or between vowels, as in writer then it has to flap but in the word ""button"" from your previous video (Consonant Sound Glottal 'T' ) you said it has a different sound and the word is between vowel. Can it an explanation? and by the way in the dictionary it has the same symbol for both flat sounds and glotal sounds. Do you think is there a way to know when to choose one of the other? Thank you so much in advance for your kindness.

[@SoundsAmerican]

Great question! The letter 'T' is pronounced as a glottal 'T' sound when it appears before a weak syllable *ending with /n/* : button, cotton, kitten. That's the difference. :) Here's the detailed explanation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJLFmGB7iq2Ch80

[@marleny750]

@@SoundsAmerican Thank you so much for taking your time to reply back. Wonderful videos.

[@Velvet.Autumn.Leaves]

it's approximately /r/ sound but in case that r consonant is before or close the t consonant it could be pronounced as /d/ sound . my Experience !