2. stop t = /t|/

Poor written T…changing all the time.

This week we’re practicing #2.

1.  real t = /tʰ/
2.  stop t = /t|/
3.  flap t = /d/
4.  glottal stop /ʔ/
5.  t = /ʃ/
6.  t = /t͡ʃ/
7.  silent t

What is the difference between:

real t = /tʰ/ …  we blow the air out of our mouth
stop t = /t|/ …  we stop … we don’t blow air out of the mouth

The line /|/ that we see in the symbol for stop /t|/ means … stop.
You form a t with your lips and tongue, but don’t blow the air out.

Let’s listen to this example:

1. what /watʰ/
2. what /wat|/

The correct pronunciation is:   /wat|/
That’s right, you can’t really hear the sound of the t.

Where do we say /t|/?  Can you guess?

what, right, that, it, about, but, want, paint, cat

Yes, at the end of many common words.

In natural speech, however, we don’t say words by themselves, we link them .  If the next word begins with a vowel sound … then:

/t|/ + vowel sound = /d/ 

what /wat|/
what a /wə –də/
what a good idea /wə –də-gʊ -day-ˈdi-ya/

it /ɪt|/
is it /ˈɪ-zɪt|/
is it a /ˈɪ-zɪ-də/
Is it a puppy? /ɪ-zɪ-də-ˈpʌ-piy/?

it /ɪt|/
it is /ɪ-ˈdɪz/
it is a /ɪ-ˈdɪ-zə/
Yes, it is a puppy.  /yɛs/ … /ɪ-ˈdɪ-zə-ˈpʌ-piy/

cat /kæt|/
cat asleep /ˈkæ-də-sliyp/

There’s a cat asleep in the pot.
/ðɛ-ɚ-zə-ˈkæ-də-sliy-pɪn-ðə-pat/

If the next word doesn’t begin with a vowel sound, we say a /t|/:

The cat likes to sleep.
/ðə-kæt|-layk-stə-sliyp/

Negative verb forms end in /t|/:

… aren’t … can’t … couldn’t … doesn’t … don’t … didn’t … hadn’t … hasn’t … haven’t … isn’t … mustn’t … shouldn’t … wasn’t … weren’t … won’t … wouldn’t

In natural speech, we always stress them so that listeners can understand us better.

He wasn’t happy.
He didn’t know the answer.

 

Next blog post:   3.  flap t = /d/