In this American English pronunciation video, we’re going to go over the difference between
a Stop T and no T at all.
Sometimes I get questions from people asking what the difference is between a Stop T and
just leaving out the T. Other people say, “I can’t hear the Stop T at all.” It
sounds like nothing. So today we’re going to sort out the difference. A Stop T is different
than dropping the T.
A Stop T is when you stop the air, but don’t release the T sound. For example, the word
‘wait’. Wait. First I’ll say it with a True T. Wait, wait. Now I’ll slow it down
so you can hear the stop that happens before the release: Wait. Did you hear the stop?
Wait. Now I’ll say it with a Stop T. Wait, wait. I bet you can hear the difference between
a Stop T and a True T. Wait, wait. [2x]
Now let’s compare the Stop T and no T at all. We’ll compare ‘wait’ and ‘way’.
Except for the T, they have all the same sounds. I’m not releasing the T, but I am stopping
the air, which makes it sound different. Wait, way. Wait, way. How would you describe the
difference? Way, wait. The word ‘way’ is just a little longer, and the voice falls
off more in pitch. Way, way, wait. With ‘wait’, we stop the air. So it’s shorter, and the
sound stops before the voice falls off in pitch. Stop the air with your throat. Also,
depending on the context, you might lift your tongue into position for the T. But that’s
not actually necessary to stop the air. Way, wait.
Let’s look at some more word pairs. You identify what you’re hearing.
Which word are you hearing?
It’s this word, can’t. Can, can’t.
Which word are you hearing?
It’s this word, stay. State, stay.
Which word are you hearing?
It’s this word, know. Note, know.
Which word are you hearing?
It’s this word, feet. Fee, feet.
I hope this video has made the Stop T more clear.
If there’s a word or sound you need help pronouncing, put it in the comments below.
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That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.