BROADCASTS.com

Published: July 22, 2015, 7:56 a.m.

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Have you figured out yet that American English is a language full of unusual sounds and spelling? Well, in this English tip, Gabby talks about the Flapped \\u201cT\\u201d, also known as the Flap T. Simply put, this occurs in American English when a \\u201cT\\u201d falls in a word between two vowels.

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A flapped \\u201cT\\u201d sounds like a \\u201cd\\u201d in American English. This is why the words \\u201cMetal\\u201d and \\u201cMedal\\u201d in English sound the same. You would distinguish the exact word and meaning by the context in which it is used. Gabby uses \\u201cpretty\\u201d, \\u201ccity\\u201d, \\u201cbetter\\u201d, and \\u201cthought of\\u201d as good examples of the American flapped \\u201cT.\\u201d

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If you are serious about learning to speak and understand American English, then this tip is for you. By using the Flapped \\u201cT\\u201d sound you will demonstrate an understanding of American English that escapes some people. For more tips like this one, visit gonaturalenglish.com and start learning to speak American English the natural way.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en0CBn8UQRM

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Episode transcript below:

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Hello there!

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How are you doing today?

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Welcome to a Go Natural English episode where we\\u2019re going to talk about a question from a Go Natural English audience member, Abdelkrim.

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Abdelkrim asked, \\u201cCan you talk a little bit about the flapped \\u201cT\\u201d?

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Well, this is an excellent question.

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Abdelkrim, it sounds like you\\u2019re studying linguistics.

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Maybe you\\u2019re really interested in pronunciation in the English language and this is a really important point for understanding American English.

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So, if you want to talk to Americans, or if you want to sound more like an American English speaker, then this answer is really important.

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Now, Abdelkrim asked for a lot of examples and exercises, and I\\u2019m going to do my best but remember these English tip videos are really short.

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I try to keep them between two and five minutes.

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The shorter, the sweeter.

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But if you want more examples, more practice, and more support, then you should join the Go Natural English premium course at gonaturalenglish.com.

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Now, here are some examples:

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We have words that I mentioned before in another video such as \\u201cwater,\\u201d

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Another example would be \\u201cpretty.\\u201d

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\\u201cIsn\\u2019t it a pretty city\\u201d?

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Now that\\u2019s another example \\u2013 \\u201ccity.\\u201d

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So, we have the flapped \\u201cT\\u201d when you have a \\u201cT\\u201d between two vowels.

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So, \\u201cPretty \\u2013 P-R-E-T-T-Y.\\u201d

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\\u201cY\\u201d would be considered a vowel in this case, makes the \\u201cT\\u201d sound like a \\u201cD\\u201d \\u2013 this is what we call the flapped \\u201cT\\u201d in linguistics or pronunciation.

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So, what it means is that the \\u201cT\\u201d in American English sounds like a \\u201cD.\\u201d

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Now, in British English, it\\u2019s a bit different but as you know, I\\u2019m an American English teacher so I can help you out with this flapped \\u201cT\\u201d sound.

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So, it\\u2019s \\u201cpretty.\\u201d

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Now, you may want to say \\u201cpretty\\u201d and that\\u2019s OK.

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It\\u2019s not incorrect but that\\u2019s more of a British accent.

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So, if you want to understand and sound more like an American, you should say, \\u201cpretty\\u201d and you should expect people to say \\u201cpretty\\u201d and know that that word is spelled with a \\u201cT\\u201d even though it sounds like a \\u201cD.\\u201d

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Same thing for \\u201ccity.\\u201d

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You might be tempted to say \\u201ccity\\u201d and that\\u2019s OK but what sounds more natural in American English is \\u201ccity.\\u201d

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It\\u2019s not \\u201ccity.\\u201d

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It\\u2019s \\u201ccity.\\u201d

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So, a \\u201cD\\u201d sound is softer than a \\u201cT\\u201d sound.

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The flapped \\u201cT\\u201d is soft like a \\u201cD.\\u201d

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So, I\\u2019m currently in Tokyo and I would say that Tokyo is a pretty city.

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Oh, but I have an even better example \\u2013 ooh \\u201cbetter\\u201d \\u2013 B-E-T-T-E-R.

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Not \\u201cbetter\\u201d\\u201d but \\u201cbetter.\\u201d

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A better example \\u2013 I just thought of a better example which is actually \\u201cthought of.\\u201d

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Now this will blow your mind because when we say words, we have to consider the linking between two words.

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We don\\u2019t just say individual words like \\u201cpretty\\u201d \\u2013 \\u201ccity.\\u201d

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