English Pronunciation Tip: The Vanishing T

hey guys this is the clear English corner and I'm Keenan your personal American English pronunciation coach today we're going to talk a little bit more about funny things that happen with the T sound in English if you've seen this lesson you know that Americans do a lot of funny things with the T sound that make that sound distinct in the American accent versus other varieties of English we pop the T we flap the T we hold the T and sometimes the team vanishes altogether in this lesson we talked about how the T sound often disappears when it comes after the in consonant in an unstressed syllable and in this lesson we're going to talk about another time when that T tends to disappear knowing about this pattern is going to make a lot of words and word combinations a heck of a lot easier to pronounce so let's dive in so here's the skinny when the T sound comes between two other consonant sounds at the end of a word or even between words that T is likely going to disappear this happens a lot when adding s as an ending to a word that ends in a T cluster or a consonant plus T for example take the word fact fact we have a very clear blend at the end of this word fact but if we add an S to the end to make it plural it becomes facts facts what the heck where's the T facts you don't know all the facts you don't know all the facts let's take a look at the facts let's take a look at the facts here's another example product product again a very clear blend at the end of this word product product but what if I add an apostrophe s in order to contract product is into products products our products the perfect solution our products the perfect solution another example gift gift a very clear F plus T constant cluster at the end of this word gift if I add an S at the end to make it plural it becomes gifts gifts you have many gifts you have many gifts put the gifts on the table please put the gifts on the table please here's a few more examples protect protect again a KT cluster at the end of this word if I add an S it becomes protects protects this protects your skin and the Sun this protects your skin and the Sun it protects against water damage it protects against water damage attempt attempt a PT cluster at the end of this word we add an S to the end it becomes attempts attempts we already made three attempts we already made three attempts he attempts his best every time he attempts his best every time one of the most common T clusters you'll see at the end of words is the combination of s and T in words like fast and just but here again that T sound is going to disappear when it comes between two consonant sounds even if that next consonant sound is at the beginning of the next word let's take a look at some more examples just just a clear st cluster at the end of this word but if I add another word right after the word just that starts with a consonant sound like the word said just said becomes just said I just said that I just said that just jealous becomes just jealous he's just jealous he's just jealous just lucky just lucky I guess I'm just lucky I guess I'm just lucky best best place this is the best place this is the best place best choice are you sure that's the best choice are you sure that's the best choice do you hear it the tea is falling away are you sure that's the best choice best man may the best man win may the best man win let's play around with the word must that must be really hard that must be really hard it must not be that important it must not be that important most that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard most ridiculous most ridiculous she's the most qualified candidate she's the most qualified candidate this is the most common this is the most common almost almost we almost made it we almost made it I'm almost done I'm almost done I almost forgot I almost forgot let's try the word suggest suggest I suggest we try something different I suggest we try something different suggest we suggest we I suggest we try something different she'd never suggest that suggest that she'd never suggest that interesting right let's practice one more this word last last night becomes last night last night you won't believe what happened last night you won't believe what happened last night last chance becomes last chance last chance this is your last chance this is your last chance last day becomes last day last day it's the last day to register it's the last day to register so much easier to say it that way last day and that my friends is exactly why this happens the T falls away when it comes between two other consonants at the end of a word or in between words because it's easier to say it that way and our speech muscles will follow the path of least resistance someone who's been speaking English their entire life never thinks about the fact that the T disappears between two consonants at the end of a word and between words it just happens because it's easier to say it that way so I share this insight with you today hoping that'll make some words and word combinations easier for you to pronounce just a few words of caution you want to remember when we're talking about pronunciation that we're talking about sounds and not letters even though this word ends with four consonant letters there's only actually two consonant sounds that T and the S the I gh combination in this word actually makes one vowel sound the AI as in white nights nights even though there's six letters in this word there's only four sounds nights mmm i nights so don't drop the T here it's not nice it's nice same thing with this word lights same pattern don't drop the T here also the T does not fall away when you have an in T consonant cluster at the end of a word we Americans do a funny thing with the end combination making it as sound in and of itself and if you want to learn more about that you should definitely check out this video here I'll be sure to link to it in the video description so waa NTS is once it doesn't become ones students doesn't become students students points doesn't become poins points she wants to give the students bonus points she wants to give the students bonus points and finally another important point to remember when the our sound comes at the end of a word or syllable it's considered a vowel linguistically so in a word like starts even though you see three consonant letters that are the T and the S you actually have one vowel sound and two consonants that are plus that T and s starts don't drop the T here same thing with words like flirts and supports that vowel plus R is a vowel sound alright so I hope I didn't just confuse you completely the most important thing to remember is that when the T sound comes between two consonant sounds at the end of a word or in between two words that T sound is likely going to disappear you don't need to worry about getting that T in there in combinations of words like just need just need I just need a minute I just need a minute and you don't need to worry about getting that T in there in words like projects effects directs perfects and acts whoo that's a relief right alright I hope you found the lesson helpful if you did please be sure to share with friends also don't forget to visit the clear English corner blog for a list of all the practice words and sentences used in this lesson I'll be sure to share a link for in the video description if you want to learn more about all the funny things Americans do with the T sound be sure to check out this lesson as always thanks so much for tuning in and I'll see you next time

Channel: Clear English Corner with Keenyn Rhodes

Views: 94,412

Keywords: english pronunciation, english pronunication tip, vanishing t, american t, american accent training, sound, how to say, what is, how to improve your american accent, how americans say t, american english, american english accent, american english pronunciation, pronunciation american english, american english learning, american accent, american pronunciation, accent reduction, how to speak american accent, clear english corner, keenyn

Id: vipuRtt6Cw8

Length: 11min 9sec (669 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 30 2019