/t/

LISTEN

/t/…/t/…/t/…/t/

take…stand…put…after

WHAT IS IT?

Pronunciation:
The sound /t/ is a voiceless, alveolar, stop consonant.

  • Touch your alveolar ridge (the hard space behind your upper teeth) with the tip of your tongue.
  • Move your tongue sharply downward and let air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

The sound /t/ can be in these clusters:​

BEGINNING OF A SYLLABLE

/st/ (“st”) – store
​/tr/ (“tr”) – try
/tw/ (“tw”) – twin
/str/ (“str”) – street

END OF A SYLLABLE

​/ts/ (“ts”/ “tes’) – hits, rates
/pt/ (“pt” / “ped” / “pped”) – apt, hoped, ripped
/spt/ (“sped”) – rasped
/rpt/ (“rped”) – warped
/mpt/ (“mpt” / “mped”) – prompt, pumped
/lpt/ (“lped”) – helped
/kt/ (“ct” / “ked,” / “cked”) – act, baked, locked
/kts/ (“cts”) – acts
​/kst/ (“xed”) – faxed
/lkt/ (“lked”) – milked
/rkt/ (“rked”)​ – parked
/ft/ (“ft” / “fed” / “ghed”) – raft, goofed, coughed ​
​/fts/ (“fts”) – rafts​
​​​​/mft/ (“mphed”) – triumphed
​/st/ (“st” / “ssed”) – lost, tossed
/rst/ (“rst” / “rsed” / “rced”) – worst, parsed, forced
​/ʃt/ (“shed”) – finished
/θt/ (“thed”) – badmouthed
/tʃt/ (“ched”) – fetched
/ntʃt/ (“nched”) – punched
/ltʃt/ (“lched”) – filched
/rtʃt/ (“rched”) – marched
/rt/ (“rt”) – sort
/rts/ (“rts”) – arts
/lt/ (“lt”) – felt
/lts/ (“lts”) – faults
/nt/ (“nt”) – hint
​/nts/ (“nts”) – pants

Spelling:

  • “t” – time, try
  • “te” – late, write​
  • “tt” – mitt, better
  • “th” (not common) – thyme, Thai
  • “ed” – rushed, missed​

Grammar Tip:
The “-ed” ending marks most past tense verbs, some past participles, and some participial adjectives. The “-ed” ending is pronounced /t/ after a voiceless consonant that is not /t/ (/p/, /k/, /f/, /s/ /ʃ/, /tʃ/).

  • helped
  • laughed
  • missed
  • rushed
  • watched

COMPARE

Compare /t/ with /d/:

/t/…/d/…/t/…/d/…/t/…/d/

These are both alveolar stop consonants. However, /t/ is a voiceless consonant and /d/ is a voiced consonant. When you pronounce /t/, your vocal cords should not vibrate.

You can hear the difference between /t/ and /d/ in the words below.

1. A. time, B. dime
2. A. try, B. dry
3. A. mate, B. made
4. A. built, B. build
5. A. hurts, B. herds​
6. A. center, B. sender

Practice recognizing words with /t/ and /d/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

​​Now, compare /t/ and /θ/:

/t/…/θ/…/t/…/θ/…/t/…/θ/

These are both voiceless, alveolar consonants. However, /t/ is a stop and /θ/ is a fricative. When you pronounce /t/, the air in your mouth should be stopped, then released.

You can hear the difference between /t/ and /θ/ in the words below.

1. A. tank, B. thank
2. A. tree, B. three
3. A. torn, B. thorn
4. A. bat, B. bath
5. A. heart, B. hearth
6. A. tent, B. tenth

Practice recognizing words with /t/ and /θ/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:

1. take
2. try
3. truth
4. store
5. street
6. late
7. pots
8. best
9. melt
10. helped

11. worst
12. barked
13. fixed
14. theater
15. mentor
16. restroom
17. afternoon
18. entrance
19. strategic
20. entertainment

Now, practice /t/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.

1. ate – leftover – breakfast
I ate leftover food for breakfast. 
2. ​worked – night – project 
I worked all night to finish the project.
3. technician – fixed – tablet 
The technician fixed my tablet for me.
4. sist​er – worst – part – city
My sister lives in the worst part of the city.
5. missed – football – yesterday
I missed seeing the football game yesterday.
6.  teacher – starts – taking – attendance
​The teacher starts class by taking attendance. 

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:

Male – US Midwest (St. Louis)

Male – US Midwest (Iowa)

Male – US Midwest

Female – US Northeast

Female – US Southeast

USE IT

Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

​Prepare:
Which of these activities did you do when you were a teenager? Did you enjoy them, or do you regret them?

  • Stayed out late
  • Wrote poetry
  • Went on a “blind date”
  • Worked at a part-time job
  • Took a road trip
  • Watched too much television
  • Wrote college essays​
  • Graduated high school​
  • Learned to play an instrument
  • Dressed up for a school dance
  • Went to parties
  • Started a savings account
  • Got a tattoo
  • Saw your favorite band in concert
  • Got perfect grades
  • Took extra classes after school

Record:
In your recording, explain which activities you did as a teenager and how you feel about them now. (Pay attention to past tense “-ed” endings that are pronounced as either /d/, /t/, or /əd/.)

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