Do NOT say the T in these 11 Common Words | It's not just Californians!
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2024
- In this English lesson I’ll show how Americans drop the T in many common words. It’s an important lesson on American English pronunciation-even native speakers are shocked by this! I’ll also work with you on how American English and British English differ substantially on this point. The lesson is full of examples of how to say these words like a native speaker. You will improve your English pronunciation and comprehension as you practice these words along with me.
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Identify/Identification
02:11 Twenty
03:04 Wanted
03:40 Want Another
05:52 Kitchen counter
06:16 Count
06:30 Count on
06:36 Counted
06:50 Disappointed/Disappointing
08:49 Pointed/Pointing
09:13 Printer/Printing/Printed
09:41 Rented/Renting
09:52 "Inter" words
10:01 Accounting/Accounted
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Improve your American Accent / spoken English at Rachel's English with video-based lessons and exercises. Rachel uses real life English conversation as the basis for teaching how to speak English and how to sound American -- improve listening comprehension skills. Study English vocabulary and English phrases such as phrasal verbs, as well as common expressions in English. Learn American idioms and American slang.
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Thank you Rachel^^
Your videos help me alot to improve my speaking and reading ability as well(;
Could you also please give a list of words where H is silent? Thank you
Yess!!!!
Cockneys drop the t aswell.
Maybe some Scots and Irish.
This is definitely a regional accent thing. I pronounce the T in each of the words listed, and I'm from the south. If you are learning English, don't feel you are doing it wrong if you drop or pronounce the T, it varies across the country and most will understand you either way.
Same! I just made this comment haha. I thought it was a southern dialect habit or a regional difference in pronunciation. I intentionally pronounced those Ts just bc I thought it was southern improper grammar lol
I agree with you. I learnet english a few years ago and there is no right way to speak, unless you are a master.
I’m from California and pronounce the T as well.
The DICTIONARY (online or offline, LOL) is always the way to go. In both the American and the British pronunciation, they enunciate the T.
this is not a regional thing, but an education thing. this lady is trying to make normal the stuff that causes the american english, a low class english. I always need cc to understand american english and I have a hard time understanding americans, while I have no problems to understand Europeans. the best english is not even taught in England but Nordic countries.
I was born in the United States and have lived here all my 74 years and never realized that I was British. Blimey!!!
:)
I have been asked if I was British for pronouncing "pretty" not instead of "preddy" or "purdy". I told them Purdy is a paintbrush manufacturer, and I am USA all the way.
I am 100% American but I always pronounce the T. I would feel like a rube if I didn't. They feel badly? Are their sensory skills lacking? I think we should encourage one another to go the extra step and pronounce words properly. If I said "wanna" I would be so embarrassed.
Old school English speaker.
Ha ha ha
Baloney. It depends on what part of the US you are from. As an English tutor, I teach my students to pronounce the letters but I explain to them that there are many different pronunciations due to accents based on the region and dialect. I tell them not to assume they are doing something wrong. There are many videos showing the different accents. There are people within greater London who speak English and they have a hard time understanding each other. I was at restaurant in Indonesia once and an Australian came and sat to share some beers and chat. I had a very difficult time understanding him.
Thank you for your comment. Taught properly, the student can decide where and when the rules can be bent. Personally, I have little trouble in asking people to "enunciate please." All the best regards to you 🙏
Great comment, thank you.
Yep, depends what part of Britain you're from too
An Australian, an American, someone from India, a Canadian, and a Nigerian all walk into a British pub and can't understand each other, including the barkeep. This sounds like a bad joke but it's true. 🤞
ITA as someone who has taught ESL. Her telling English learners not to pronounce t’s makes me wonder about her credentials. There are plenty of Americans who pronounce the t in these words. She chooses not to fully enunciate which is her choice. It’s not how all Americans speak.
I’m American born and bred; and I pronounce the “T”. Many of my English teacher relatives would have “skinned me alive” if I would have done other wise. I think Rachel is teaching an American accent that isn’t one that you should use with a university English professor, but one that the average American is comfortable with.
I don't think she has any right giving advice to anyone trying to speak English. She obviously has a hearing disability. Listen to her examples again and you'll clearly haer that most of them did not drop the t sound like she said they did.
I disagree. Almost everyone I know pronounces the 't' in all of those words. Perhaps I don't any 'average Americans? 😅
@@gusmonster59 Videos like this one are why a DISLIKE counter is REQUIRED on CZcams.
I think Rachel is mischaracterizing a voiced t (ie “d”) as dropping the t.
@@carolspencer-coons8237 I think you are correct.
Something that a learner should ALWAYS keep in mind is that, even though videos like this often say, "DON'T SAY THE 'T' IN THESE WORDS", these things are NOT set-in-stone rules. I'm from Ohio, and I've heard a PLENTY of people saying things differently. It is OKAY to pronounce the "T", because it is ultimately up to you.
Absolutely true.
I also get annoyed when these videos say things like "NEVER say YOU'RE WELCOME" as if nobody ever says it. I say "You're welcome" all the time and so do many other people I know, all native English speakers.
@@SalvableRuin Again, very true. I've heard my whole life that English is so hard to learn. I don't know if that's true but if it is, it is a real scandal to be conning people with trivial and false nonsense like, "never say, you're welcome".
The honest truth is that many of these English videos are simply extending and complicating something which needs no further extending or complicating except to line the pockets of those giving "lessons" about "never do blah, blah, blah"
MrPeterJin Depends - if you want to do a specific dialect or accent then yes, its up to you.
However if you want to pronounce the words correctly and accordingly to the pronounciation as the phonetic rules (the "set in stone rules" if you will) specify dropping the t is always wrong.
This might be different in a century or so (languages evolve and change over time after all) but for now everyone dropping the t's does it wrong.
@@HH-hd7nd Agreed. Though I'm on the fence whether languages "evolve". Latin is much more specific and clear than french, italian and spanish. I'd say they devolved. Those languages are beautiful and understandable in their own right, and they're a bit far from their roots. They're simplified from their original version. IDK if that's evolving, I think the simplification is a form of devolving.
I hear a “soft” T in many of these American speakers, I don’t think it is completely eliminated. “Wanna” is more casual slang than formal speaking. “Count on” usually sounds more like “cown-don” than “cown-on”. Agree with others noting that it is more associated with regional dialect.
exactly. It is a soft t not no t
Yup. Especially in the first example
Its kinda like how we pronounce "mirror" as "mirr", we fool ourselves to think we hear the "or" at the end, but its not really there.
@@greyblob1101 Many pronunciations are regional, where I live people do pronounce it mirror with a very small percentage dropping the "or". My Mom would say a mirror reflects your image while mir was the soviet space station.
I hear more of a soft D: "wanded", "counded"...
As I say to my children, there is a T in there for a reason and if there are two T's together then it is even more important to pronounce them. We have the glottal stop in many regional UK dialects and dropping the T is sadly quite common. Water becomes wau'ah, better becomes beh'ah. It is an unconscious removal of a hard consonant but just because it is common doesn't mean it is right. Stand up for the T!!
Mr. D > Mr. T
Our new slogan: "Stand up for the T"
@@lyndavonkanel8603 Our next treatise ought to be be entitled 'In defense of the 'T'. :)
@@Mobby74 I'm loving the support!
Having lived my whole life in california, I can confidently state that most in northern california pronounce the T in those words... Maybe not quite as crisply as the british do, but it is VERY different from dropping the T completely. Even in your american examples for indentify, the T sound was VERY easy to hear.
Right, I can hear her "T".
the T sound is beautiful and powerful. No way I will get rid of it.
people are too lazy nowadays even on spelling
@@ieorlich this habit has existed for hundreds of years, yes, people are now lazier, but this isn't a result of that
Yes beautiful T
I adore and practise British English.😍 I just want to know how Americans pronounce, but I'll never betray Received Pronunciation))
Yeh my name starts with T . It's my favourite letter , I can't stop get rid of it.
I'm Canadian and I noticed we pronounce the "t" more often than Americans but less often than the British. We're in between!
By your comment. We Canadians are hybrid English speaking people. Haha
How do you people in Canada pronounce Toronto ?
@@peorlandi I pronounce both T's but I think I have heard it pronounced without the second T.
@@jogarithm286 Thanks for your response
I noticed how Canadians speak is how non-natives speak, the "global" English. And the "global" English is becoming more popular than both British and American. Since there are 7.7 billion people on the planet and only 0.35 billion are Americans and Brits the "global" English will eventually win the race.
Aside from it being different by region, it can also be different by context.
Where I'm from (Seattle, Washington) people generally do drop the T in casual conversation.
But when emphasizing things, explaining things, or focusing on enunciation for professional reasons, we keep the T.
But sometimes, people really enunciate their T to show irritation, too.
I’m a native-born American as well as a former ESL teacher. I’ve always pronounced the “t” in words, and I’ve always taught my ESL students to pronounce the “t” in words.
Yes. She wildly exaggerates this defective English. I'm glad she didn't listen to Moon Zappa's Valley Girl Record. What would she say about Americans then? Oh Mi Gahd...Fer sure , fer sure...
I personally like when foreigners don't drop their accent when speaking English. As long as you can communicate I don't see the problem.
Awesome. Here I am in San Francisco, can't get a job because of my accent.
@@abdulvahid93 😂😂😂 no offense man it's just make me laugh
But why don't you try to improve your accent ?
@@marcelinemulaji2463 I'm trying. But it is a marathon. Not a sprint. 😄😄
@@abdulvahid93 That's because, sadly, very few people share Oliver's opinion. I think there's an ongoing process of acceptance of accents.
On the other hand, non native speakers should stop obsessing over "native pronunciation" and embrace their accents.
@@cadicamo8720 Good advice. I'm looking for an Engineering Position which requires to collaborate with High Net Worth Individuals in day to day basis. And hiring managers are not happy with my accent. That even put a strain on my career as I had no issues when I was in Dubai but it's not working in San Francisco. 😆
I’m from San Francisco and I say all of those words with a T. Sometimes it’s an unaspirated T, but it is definitely a T, which sounds a little bit different than eliminating the T all together. Some of the American examples you show have an unaspirated T. A few words that I say with an aspirated T are twenty, interest, and Internet. I grew up in San Francisco, but perhaps I pronounce the T because of my age, which is 71.
Thank you, this is what I thought when listening to the examples.
I agree. I pronounce the T in all these words, but I don’t enunciate it like a British speaker would. It’s there. If I wasn’t pronouncing it it would sound like it wasn’t there at all, and that is not how it is.
I'm from the SF area and had similar thoughts. There's a sort of suppressed T as opposed to if the T wasn't there at all, in several of those words.
@ dancing giraffe: You mean sevenny-one? 😁
(I agree with you, though!)
(P.S. -- I, too, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area!)
I grew up in San Jose (Sanozay) and I hear what you hear.
As a kid, I lived in Kansas, California, Hawaii & Florida. I moved to Colorado in 1961 & have been here ever since. I have always said the Ts in these words. In fact I just tried & found it hard to eliminate the T sound in most of these words!
1. Identify
2. Identification
3. Twenty
4. Wanted
5. Want another
6 want a ; I want a cup of coffee, please
7. Want to; I want to go now.
8. Count on
9. Counter ; kitchen counter
10. Counted . I counted twenty
11. Disappointed
12. It's disappointing
13. Pointed
14. Printer
15. Painted
16. Renting
17. Dentist
18. International
Yes, your channel is so amazing. 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
The "t" is always pronounced... it's just not stressed as much as the Brits do. Casual listeners won't hear it because it's subtle, but its there.
But it's not a 't' anymore at all, it's a very soft 'd' instead in American English...so it's practically not there.
Exactly. You can hear it in most of her examples.
@@DerEchteBold That happens mostly because it makes it faster to say as a d rather than a t
@@TheJofrica
Well, maybe sometimes but it's not really faster, just a bit less of an effort, I mostly prefer the English practice.
This American 't' softening is pretty similar to what is going on in my local German accent ...and that means it sounds kinda bumpkinish ; )
@@DerEchteBold Ok maybe I have it backwards, what I mean is, if you talk faster, the t just naturally starts turning into a d
I’m from the Midwest and I pronounce the “t” in these words. I think it’s very hard to generalize the American dialect due to all the regional differences.
There is not one "American dialect" if you cannot generalize it. There are many "dialects". or regional variations.
I'm southern and pronounce the t in every word except counter (as in the kitchen) if it's saying someone who counts, I'd say the t. I also realized I'd say gonna go by not wanna go.
Then I bet you pronounce the t in often too. I suspect that the movement bringing back the t's is related to an accommodating mindset and driven partly by contact with non-native speakers. Most of them deal with print before hearing native speakers, and they appreciate it when we pronounce the t that they expect to hear.
I remember a conversation from about 50 years ago when I was 6 or so trying to figure out the right way to say 'county fair.'
Listen to interviews where Hillary or Bill Clinton is the topic of discussion. Usually the interviewer, if American, will pronounce a full t in Clinton the first time they say the word, but once the topic has been established, they revert to a more common American pronunciation for the rest of the interview.
This is basically the approach I use teaching ESL to adults. They need to be familiar with both pronunciations and realize that they are equivalent. But I definitely do NOT cave in to their wish that I fully realize every t because that would leave them poorly equipped to deal with normal American speech. When they talk, I let them render it in any form that communicates well.
@@koschmx I leave them poorly equipped if they depend on hearing t's that are not there. I'm in the US teaching people who want to interact with American clients and associates. I equip them to understand American speech by speaking like an American.
@@koschmx Oh, and like I said above, how they pronounce things is up to them. They are not poorly equipped if they pronounce full t's everywhere. They are poorly equipped when they are unable to understand Americans when we say words containing t.
Pronunciation in different places even in USA are so different... I'm Mexican raised in Texas now living in Mexico it's very difficult to understand different expressions in Spanish... and some schools down here at B.C.S... teach British English.... im still learning different expressions and words in Spanish and British English pronunciation as well..... great video like all of your videos... thank you so much.... and by the way your hair looks beautiful Ms. Rachel God bless you always 🙏🙏
You're very welcome and thanks for sharing @ElprofeJVilla!
Funny, lived on the West Coast for 40 years. Almost EVERYONE says that T. Glad to see so many people pointing out that the US actually has variation. It amazes me how many people in the US assume everyone is just like them, only because they have somehow managed to not bother to meet (or perhaps recognize) all the people who aren't just like them.
Sorry, Rachel, you've got this one wrong! "Want to" will not be replaced by "Wanna"
As a native of New York City, I have ALWAYS pronounced the "t" in all the words you cite! Not pronouncing them I've found, is more a regionalism, common to certain geographic areas of the US.
And also sounds uneducated.
Same
It’s lazy and casual and not appropriate for public speaking.
She's wrong it's straight bs, the t is supposed to be pronounced.
There is casual speech, and there is more careful speech. I am originally from Brooklyn, with the accent from that borough. When I was growing up, I said the "t" in words like "identity," but also slurred through lots of words. I remember saying "fye dollas" for "five dollars," for instance. And gonna, shoulda, etc. So, yes, this is a regional thing, the "t" drop. Once I became a teacher of English, I stopped using the shortened forms, and added the voiced "r," too, because I relocated to New England and it was pretty much a necessity. So fuggedabout saying "cawfee" any longer! :)
Americans keep their tradition of dropping the "tea" alive
Lmao
Hahahaha
This is the comment I've been looking for ,hahaha.
Lol
I love it, tea down the drain
Very useful comments here! I think these tips help non-native speakers (like me) to improve our listening skills, because we sometimes don't understand something due to the absence of the T sound.
It's always great to hear positive things Era!
My father was a (British) telecommunications engineer, and he told me that it's important to pronounce letters like "t" and "k", etc., because that's where the information is. If you get lazy and start to not pronounce those letters, it becomes more difficult to be understood, especially in noisy environments or noisy telephone lines.
So don't be afraid to pronounce the "t"! 😊
@@rachelsenglish as for me, if the brits don't drop the "t", neither do I. After all, English comes from Great Britain, not the United States.
@@AnasthassiaMurillo but they do. All the time. Look up bo'ew-o-wo'eh. It's horrid.
As a non English native speaker, listing to podcast's and talk's show's.I noticed that "t" in the examples , is flap to the point almost disappear for my ear. However twenty is tweny . I may not drop the T in these words but it helps me to understand a native speakers and to improve my English hearing skill. Your advice is helpful thank you
Glad to hear that it was helpful Chaila!
During my time broadcasting school, pronunciation was one of the courses. I was taught that dropping the "t" in these words is "lazy language", and not acceptable for reading copy/VO's.
👍 I agree. It sounds quite lazy to me , and when I hear people speak dropping the "t" sound I always cringe a little. Unless we are just goofing around or using language in a playful manner. I don't let people know it that I noticed, and it isn't a huge deal, but promulgating lazy language I find quite disturbing. The truth is , at least I have found - how we speak and how we write can open (or close) a lot of doors for us throughout our lives. I don't know if advocating for a loosening of language opens those doors or makes them close , at least ever so slightly...and then to people learning (American) English as a second language on top of that...
I couldn't agree more with you both
My opinion too ! When I hear people dropping their "t"s, I have that picture forming in my mind of people slouching in a sofa, half-drunk and slurring their speech, couldn't be bothered to pronounce all the letters. Definitely sounds sloppy to my ears.
I’m american and I have *always* pronounced the T’s in all of those words. I soften them a little bit, so you can still hear them, but just not as crisp and distinctly as brits pronounce them.
Same with me.
Exactly. This so-called "teacher" is insufficiently skilled to detect the nuances in pronunciation.
@@richardreinertson1335 Exactly. It’s like she only recognized one extreme or the other without even acknowledging there’s a middle ground. I realize that people can get sloppy and drop consonants when talking fast (myself included). But regardless of how many people do it, it’s still improper pronunciation.
So I was appalled to hear a so-called expert actually INSTRUCT people to deliberately pronounce them as ‘twenny’ and ‘wanna’, etc. Even more appalling is, I believe this woman actually charges money for her services.
Good
Rachel is describing natural, spoken English. A lot of Americans *think* they pronounce the T because we do if we read the word and say it in isolation. But I guarantee if someone recorded you speaking fast English to a friend, there is a very high likelihood of some dropped Ts in there.
I admire this girl, she always makes useful videos which help learners of English all over the world.
Here is my contribution to those words above
County ( ike Clark County)
I'm American, and I speak clearly. Annunciating the T's is part of that, as is annunciating all consonants. As people get older, their hearing deteriorates, and the high frequencies are the first to go. Those high frequencies are where the consonants are, the vowels residing in the lower frequencies. Consonants are more important than vowels where intelligibility of speech is concerned. That is why a hearing aid is more helpful in understanding speech if the high frequencies are boosted relative to the low ones. This is fresh in my mind right now, bc I am dealing with this with my 80yo mother.
Also, any singing teacher or choir director will tell you that it's important to spit out those consonants. It's called "diction", and it's what makes the words possible for the audience to understand.
If you care at all about being clearly and easily understood, annunciate clearly, and don't be lazy and gloss over your consonants, unless of course you enjoy having people ask you to repeat what you just said.
I am a Canadian English speaker and the T is usually pronounced where I live. I definitely pronounce it. There is no need to drop it just to fit in. English is used differently in different regions around North America and none of us are 'doing it wrong'.
Canadians talk funny.
I'm Irish. I think you're all doing it wrong.
Canadian English is not the same as American English
I live just east of Toronto, Ont. Canada. Almost everyone who mentions the city never says or pronounces the second T in Toronto. It is everything from Torono to Torana to Toronno. There is a small city in Italy that is spelled Taranto. I guess that is one reason that Toronto has attracted so many Italian immigrants to the city.
@@aymensenpai7526 Disagree strongly. If by America you mean Michgan, Wisconsin, Upstate New York. As you move farther away there are more differences.
More subdued than dropped. I can still hear them in most of the examples.
Exactly. To me, this video is nonsense.
Agreed!
@@dachickenlady The thumbnail and title are overblown and certainly clickbaity, but the content of the video hardly makes the same claim the title does. I'm fairly sure most of the people commenting how the video is wrong didn't bother to watch it.
-She said "9 times out of 10" we'll drop the T. She never said "always". In my experience she is more or less correct. For example I don't know anyone who'd pronounce "t" in "pretty much". In that use even Brits sometimes reduce it.
-She provides numerous examples in the video of what she's talking about, all of which sounded normal and natural to me. She does tend to talk about "dropped" Ts when they are actually reduced to a soft "d" sound, but that's a minor problem when you can clearly hear what she means in the examples.
Yes, what's happening phonetically speaking is what's called an unreleased T. A T is typically made by stopping the voice and airflow with the tongue in position behind the teeth and then releasing the explosive puff of air that marks a fully enunciated T. What happens here is just that the voice and airflow is stopped, creating a very swallowed sort of T, but it is still a T.
Super agree. I cant even. We dont drop the T at all we dont just exaggerate it
This is good observation. I came here because I had always thought of this.
I'm an international student in the US. I observed exactly that Americans don't pronounce "T", and it makes lot of difference between native and foreign speakers of American English. Initially it sounds weird since I am used to pronounce loudly the T. I feel it's now a whole different new experience for me as a foreign student in US.
This is one of the best information I've ever learned thank you so much
Thanks for this great feedback Dilnura!
It’s not surprising to hear many Americans say that the do not drop the T in ANY of these words. Language is a subconscious activity and most people need training to hear what they actually say VS what they think they should say. I asked my mom to pronounce these words from a list and she sounded a true T in every case! Yet in casual conversation she dropped the T without realizing it. When I told her about this, she became annoyed at me and said she would never drop the T in any of these words. Also, Brits make an effort to speak RP English consciously when they record or speak in public, but they actually use a stop T in many of these words when they’re not paying attention to their pronunciation. So this video is on point. I do the same: I drop the T during a normal speech but when people ask me how to say these words I pronounce a True T instead. Denial or cognitive dissonance plays a big part in this case. Fighting my own cognitive dissonance is one reason I watch this channel. It makes me a better English teacher.
It's so true. I sometimes tease people from England for pronouncing America as "Americker" when it is followed by a vowel sound like "Americker is a great place to visit" or pronouncing drawing as "drawring." Most of the time they deny that. they have inserted an extra R sound because they are not conscious of their own accents.
Great response! A+
great point, similar to the video she did about how native speakers will make lots of words within the sentence so unclear that, out of context, it’s nearly impossible to decipher what those words are.
Pronouncing a word on its own, in isolation, and being conscious of how you’re pronouncing it, is very different from how you naturally pronounce it in a sentence.
The thing is that 90% of the time it’s still there but we just don’t emphasize it as much. It’s a soft t but still present. There are few exceptions to this and it changes regionally.
@@SalvableRuin Same here. I once asked a very educated British guy why he inserted an extra r between two words and he looked at me like I was a ghost. He sweared he wasn't doing that. It's called the intrusive R by the way.
I often refer my students to your videos because I find you very clear and accurate. However, I differ from you when you say that Americans dropping the "t" in many words is a "rule." I would rather say dropping the "t" is a "feature in transition" (or it's lacking in precision or just inaccurate). I would resist the trend to drop the "t" as I resist dropping the "r" after "f" [fr] in infrastructure. My argument is that dropping sound features reduces the number of sound clues that listeners can use to interpret meaning, especially across the varieties of "World Englishes" (WE) or "English as an International Language" (EIL).
it's important to teach these features so non-natives can easily identify and understand the vocabulary and speech of the millions of native speakers that do this.
I don't pronounce the "r" in infrastructure at all. I do (as far as I can tell) pronounce the "t" in ALL these words mentioned. Frnkly, I can't reallly even tell a dfference.
By the way, I wrte the way I do on Y T due to the masssve censoarshp and shdw bnn'ng I suffer on this rotttn platfrm.
In Cal1fornia we don't pro-nounce the "r" in infrastrcture. Its always been sil1nt here.
"Mou' ain" and "di'n'" are my favorite examples of American speech.
Thanks a lot, a friend of mine when she uses your suggestions immediately speaks in a smoother and more connecterd manner. She starts sounding more native....
Awesome!
Sometimes the "t" isn't actually dropped or forgotten, it just isn't pronounced as distinctly as it should be. When talking fast it happens more often. There are a lot of words that get mispronounced with talking fast.
Exactly. Now why people, particularly young people, feel the need to speak 90 miles an hour I just don't get. Anyone care to explain why that has become a thing? It causes poor diction and therefore poor communication.
Thank you. I started thinking I was imagining it. I can hear the T in a lot of those and I know I would say indenification differently than identification. I'd slur the n into the I more in the first
@@virginiamoss7045 I think it's just because peoples brains are moving really quickly and people aren't slowing down the words for others because in thier own minds (not rudely they just genuinely don't understand) they aren't talking fast, because that's how fast thier thought s come
@@zuglymonster I've seen my grandson go from talking normally to ridiculously fast when he started private prep school. It is a competitive thing by his peers there adding unnecessary pressure to an already challenging curriculum. The faculty does not speak rapidly. Radio and television does not speak fast. It's a competitive anomaly among young people for some reason.
It totally depends upon what part of the US you’re in. I live in New England, and say the T sound in most of these words. “Wanna” is just slang-like “gonna”. But is often a choice to use slang. I think we do that when we get comfortable or informal; but most people (that I know) tend to adapt and enunciate more carefully when in a professional conversation.
Yes exactly...but some Americans do put the T when speaking like often like ofen?
I'm very pleased to know that you also love watching her..how often do you watch her?
I find it funny that you describe the change from "want to" to "wanna" as not a t drop, when phonetically that is the exact change. Most American pronounce "to" with a schwa instead of "o" sound so the change you are describing is literally a t drop. I'm a linguistics minor and we've actually discussed this example in my classes. Gonna is very different as it shortens "going" and removes the short i sound.
Also, do you think a true representation of how a person speaks is better encapsulated in an environment where they consciously are performing(professional) or more informal such as at home? I would say the latter as so many words i use in professional settings I'd never use without putting effort into trying to use them
@@jonnyrodriguez1332 Actually, the letter 't' in 'often' is supposed to be silent.
That's what I was taught in ESL class, that wanna and gonna are slang terms and should not be used in formal writing.
Canadian ESL teacher here. I pronounce the Ts
As an American, I definitely hear the "t" in the "non-t" examples, particularly in "identify." I just hear it as softer than in the British examples.
100% in the first "american drop" example the 't' is clear as hell.. after that _MAYBE_ i can agree with her thesis.... the major difference is that the brit speakers she shows hard core dwell on 't' no 'tee'.... no they are damn near doing chteeeeeeee but i highly doubt that this is a standard speech pattern.
Americans hear Ts but to non Americans you guys aren't pronouncing Ts and when you do its most often a D sound
I'm not an English-speaking native and that's very interesting. However (at the moment) I prefer hearing the T because it's easier for me to mark the words.
The same here... I'm studying English from Brazil and I prefer to not drop the "t". The words sound more clear to me, probably because that the languages based on Latin do pronounce the "t" vigorously.
Ignore this video. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Me too, I prefer to tell painting from from paining :)
I am a native American English speaker age 68, and I have studied linguistics and got high marks, and I can tell you, this so-called "teacher" is wrong. Pronounce the "t" sounds. Most Americans do. Americans might not enunciate the "t" sound as clearly as the Brits, but NO Americans that I know completely DROP the "t" sound. This "teacher" doesn't know what she is talking about.
@@roymustang2239 Também sou br
Great Explanation! I can fully understood no "T" intermediately in English conversation! Also I understood why Flap "T" happens during English speaking! I appreciated you because I have just started English speaking since 69 year of age. Now I'm 70. Very happy to know of it before too old. I'm sitting in the environment to use English because of working in a global company in Thailand.
I personally think this is a valuable video. But I think it's your click-bait over-the-top thumbnail that has brought out the haters in force. People don't want to be told what or what not to do, so this should be expected. I've travelled all over the US and watched 1,000s of American actors in movies and tv and the dropped or at least softened 't' is extremely common. I think it's very funny reading so many comments that insistsyou are wrong/doing a disservice.. and the evidence is "I don't do that so obviously you are full of it". Millions of Americans in most parts of US do exactly what Rachel is explaining and it's great for those learning American English to be aware!
This is pretty helpful most for all of whom are not native speakers because those t sounds are what most heared it… of course it will change for those who live in the north, south, wtv. Thank you, Rachel!
As an ESL student I find this video interesting and I guess I will, for ever, mix the American and English pronunciation but I will try to practice these rules but at the same time I see no wrong or right since I think communicating is the main thing.
Anyway, I find your lesson very, very interesting and I appreciate it.
I am a non-native speaker as well, and I can confirm from years of expeirence: please DO pronounce the "T" in words. It can be as a soft "T" or a strong "T", whichever may fit the word best. If you do not enunciate the consonant, it will be harder for people to understand what you say, and lead to constant corrections from others.
@@midoritea4413 no not really. If someone is correcting you for pronouncing that’s on them
Most native speakers probably won't correct you unless the word is really pronounced wrong and they can't understand your pronunciation. I had some non native ladies working for me one time and their overall English was pretty good, but occasionally I wouldn't understand what they were meaning because the word was pronounced incorrectly. The one day one of them asked me for "Tippex". I didn't know what she wanted this for. It turns out she was asking me for "Teabags". So correct pronunciation is fairly important. So please pronounce your T's when they are necessary.
English is my second language and my teacher in New York ( ESL Institute) taught me to pronounce the T on those words. When I mistakenly drop the T on twenty , people here in GA correct me and say: TwenTy..... I think the T should be pronounced, not because we might sound like British people, but because pronouncing the T it is the correct English.
As a native English speaker from California, I completely agree with you. Keep pronouncing the T!! :) (I know I do)
I worked in America as an ocean lifeguard and the deck chairs and parasols were twenty dollars. Whenever I replied with ‘twenty’ to a ‘how much?’ question, people didn’t understand me 🤦♂️😂
For real? You are kidding. Aren't you?😂
@@josemateovalenzuela4504 me? I’m serious... lots of people didn’t understand when I said ‘twenty’ so I liked saying it and confusing them. (If you weren’t referring to me, no worries :)
Any English used by English speakers is correct English, that's something you learn in linguistics.
I'm not a native speaker of English, but I learnt that flapping (AKA not saying T or D in certain positions) was optional.
To learn all the phonetic features is important, thanks❤
You're welcome @arturorueda2576!
American here. I have been deaf/HOH all my life. I use "true t's" all the time. I had no idea Americans were dropping the t. I thought I was just not hearing those words correctly. Thank you so much, I learned precisely what I've been misunderstanding for 40+ yrs and now I won't wonder if it's real or the deafness. Your explanation was excellent.
PS. Thank you for not playing background music! 😉
You're welcome and thanks for sharing!
Well yea you wasn't hearing properly obviously
@@rachelsenglish stop teaching you are not a good teacher and you are trying to make ppl speak like idiots
@@tshelby5212 True. I haven't heard properly a day in my life! 😉
Even with hearing aids, I still miss about 70% of what is said to me.
Great video! I am an English teacher, and I notice that most of us drop the T’s in rapid, everyday speech. We tend to pronounce them in slower or more formal speech. Just last week I told a student he got a 70 on a test and pronounced the T. He panicked thinking I said 17.
Exactly!
Maybe he was expecting '17' so he heard '17'?
Actually this is why I make it a point to not pronounce the T when counting by 10's in my ESL classes. It really helps them differentiate between the -ty sound and the -teen sound
As a native English teacher from England, I teach my students to pronounce their Ts correctly. However, I do explain to them that if they want to speak with more of an American accent, it is just as valid.
I teach Colombians whose native tongue is Spanish. A lot of my students watch television programs and films from the
United States and U.S. culture has a huge influence on them. That being said, they want me as their teacher because they prefer the sound of British English.
... 👏👏👏
Those of us born in NZ or Australia and who saw a number of American programs as kids (or adults) have inadverdently picked up the dropped t as well... not that I wanna admid it...
In my accent, the critical thing is that your tongue keeps moving in the correct way.
For example, I can tell the difference between "wanna" and "want a." The tongue motion continues to affect the sound of the letters around the T.
The T may be softened to a D sound or even a tongue tap, but the tongue motion is the same.
The breath is more even, too. The breath doesn't actually stop when you get to the T.
This is one of my pet peeves. I'm an American and I try to be aware of not dropping the T. One day my daughter was talking about a ki in.
You know a kitten. We moved to western Massachusetts about 20 years ago when she was 7 so it wasn't because she was too young to know. She was just repeating what she heard. I also hear mountain pronounced as moun in. One word that drives me nuts and a lot of people, even people that speak for a living say. Impor ant , instead of important.
I say both of each you mention, depending on the situation.
This is so funny to me. I'm from Maryland and I speak like your daughter. Even with words that end in 't', I'm barely pronouncing it...cat, pot, rut, bat, etc.
I’m English and living in Britain, so I’ve no idea why I’m watching this 🤣, but I noticed that one of the comments had written the word ‘wanna’. I know language evolves but it worries me that people are using words like this because that’s what they hear and possibly don’t even realise that it’s wrong, especially when they’re just learning the language, yet that’s what you appear to be teaching. Really interesting video,though, well done. By the way, I always pronounce the t’s in words and would have been in big trouble growing up if I hadn’t!! 😊
I have english students completely dropping T's and I couldn't figure out why. I guess videos like this are encouraging it. Extremely frustrating. I get it. I appreciate your videos.
Thank you @elizabethsartandbooks9974!
Obviously you're a great teacher, I'm sorry if my comment came off as rude. I think you've got a way with words. We just have different accents, haha. @@rachelsenglish
OMG I'm an Indian English was feed to me at schooling I neve knew that I'm talking like brits ! And I always wanna to talk like American and I really love her teaching guys it's so useful and made me realize where Im doing mistake. I will keep learning by lessoning her.
The video is trying to help people sound more characteristically American. It's not saying one pronunciation is better than the other, or more right. It's DE-scriptive rather than PRE-scriptive.
Language evolves and changes over time. Also, people seem to forget that orthography and pronunciation aren't always aligned. It's normal for sounds to shift and change over time.
Actually, she is teaching both British and American accents. It's up to you to decide which one you want to use
Most American i have known pronounced T but not in Chevrolet which they say Chevrolay or chevy, Tsar or Czar they pronounce as Zar and action is pronounced Acshun.
then the titleshould be changed...
But... it's not really more characteristic of America.
In fact, in a lot of the examples she gives, the "T" is there. It's an accent difference.
The problem is that she is incorrect in asserting that Americans do not pronounce the "T" in these words.
I'm American and have always pronounced the 'T'. It just sounds clearer to me.
This is one of the most elucidating English videos I've seen.
Even though I am from America, I add subtle British nuances to my accent without obviously sounding British. The T which you drop I say the t in twenty, identify, appoint, counter, pointing, printer, interview, internet, etc. The -er is pronounced with schwa sound to me. So interview would sound like in-tuh-view, not in-ner-view. Sometimes, I do a glottal stop to separate words or if the t becomes excessive.
I also have eliminated the flap t (T which sounds like D) in my accent. In words like little, water, better, matter, etc and between words I say like the Brits, sometimes a quick glottal stop (which sounds subtle), or a soft unaspirated T which I hear in Spanish and Indian accent.
New Yorker here. I pronounce the ‘t’ in all these words. But I also use ‘wanna’ in casual conversations, especially texting.
Very interesting.
Thank you.
You're welcome and thanks for sharing Lizbet!
Eh, it may be more of a generalization or regional. I live in Florida (been a military brat my whole life, so we always moved around) and I do pronounce the “t” although I admit it is a little subdued or slightly suppressed maybe like a “d” sound, but it’s still there. 🤷🏻♂️
Obviously English and American English have so many nuances and peculiarities. Thank U for the video!
Glad to hear that and thanks for watching!
I'm English, and moved to the USA as an adult. The first word I struggled with (every time I need to ask someone for some😄) is when I ask for water 😄 In the USA it seems like the t is often replaced with a d sound.
In your video description, you mention that this video will help "improve English pronunciation". In the case you are comparing American English with British English, i do not consider that as "improving" pronunciation at all when the whole point of dropping sounds is due to laziness and convenience to talk faster - which of course happens in any language, not just English. It doesn't improve pronunciation, but agree that it may improve comprehension.
In midwest pronunciation, the t in the "ntV(V)" pattern is not so much dropped but undergoes mutation to either an Unvoiced Alveolar Tap ɾ̥, a Palatalized Voiced Alveolar Plosive with no audible release d̚ʲ, or for some speakers especially those near southern dialect concentrations, it can be further reduced to a secondary articulation with no audible release so that the pronunciation looks like nᵗ̚
This, totally, as a native Northern Californian. It's just plain weird trying to eliminate the /t/ altogether as she so carelessly generalizes. It's out there, but not nearly "nine-times-out-of-ten."
There's great value in this video! Most students seem confused about this variation in pronunciation.
It is very enlightening! Although I feel like this is targeted for learners who seek a more sophisticated and elegant English. I myself find this very intriguing! Even though I think most learners shouldn't fret abou it.
Thanks for sharing Bruno!
absolutely amazing. I love it and thank you
Thanks for this great feedback sunchaser!
Thanks for this! I‘m German, but over the years, adopted an American accent rather than sticking with the British flavor I was exposed to when first learning English in school. The reason is that it flows from my tongue more naturally.
BTW: Did anyone else noticed that the speaker in the „printer on the counter“ clip dropped the t in „counter“, but pronounced it right before that in „printer“? Made me smile.
It's not standard American English. The difference in the clips is that the Americans make it ident-ification and the Brits make it iden-tification. Both groups pronounce the /t/, the difference is where we break the syllables. Each syllable will have a vowel sound, with a few exceptions, but the consonants don't automatically go with one or the other the way they would in Mandarin. So, there's a bit of question as to whether that /t/ sound is in the previous or next syllable.
It sounds like the Americans are dropping the /t/ because it doesn't come at the beginning of a syllable. It's still there and the mouth/tongue positioning doesn't change when you add the rest of the bits that allegedly trigger the rule. I'm sure that there are people who do drop it, just not the people in those examples and not anybody that you'd want to copy.
One I was expecting to hear in this lesson was "mountain." I am from the West (first California, now Utah), and I hear so many people say "moun'n" that it drives me crazy! I have a degree in English, so I tend to listen to how people speak. There is also "I seen" for "I saw," but that's another soapbox!
Thanks for sharing John!
Mountain in Utah is pronounced with a Glottal Stop. It's a related phenomenon, but not the same thing. It occurs due to the influx of people from England in the 1860's. There was a doctoral thesis by a BYU professor concerning the 'Utah glottal stop' for more information.
It also occurs in words such as Layton or Clinton.
Thanks Rachel. You are the best👍🏻
Thanks Stevens!
If I'm talking to someone, I generally don't really notice if the Ts are dropped or not
Also, as a brit, I do drop my Ts in a lot of the words you said we generally don't drop our Ts on
I'm a French Canadian. I pronounce all the T's when I speak English, and there is nothing you can do about it 😆
In New Zealand we always pronounce the "t" in these words and Australians do as well. If a cop pulled you up for speeding and he heard you dropping the "t's" , he/she would think you had been drinking and so slurring your speech.
That's how it sounds to my ears too, lol
I dunno, I have no idea what I say anymore- an Aussie
Yep its always rich having americans tell everyone they speak incorrectly whilst they can't pronounce Ts mid sentence
As an english learner, I had trouble listening theses words when americans speaking but now things changed. Thanks a lot Rachel. Keep up good work 😊
You're very welcome Arielo!
I think this may specifically be a southern CA thing. I wss born & raised in Fullerton CA, and this is exactly how I talk.. lol I had no idea 😁
Rachel I have always been pronouncing these words in a Britt fashion. I am an American Born in the Southern United States. I like to pride myself on speaking proper English in a fashion of an American. But I must say most of my teachers taught me a different way and I am taking this episode of yours very much to heart because.... I've been taking a lot of online courses from universities that offer them and I've noticed that the professors do exactly as you are saying here about not pronouncing the "T" under certain circumstances. This is what actually brought me to your episode. It's very ingrained me now because I am 66 years old. But I am going to try my best 😀🇺🇸 to speak like an American. Thank you for your channel. There is an exception to what I mentioned earlier in this post. ....My favorite teacher in the fifth grade was Mrs. Majors. She was the English teacher and she was very hard. You would speak properly or
would not speak. I love that woman ❤️❤️❤️ to this day. Now that I pricked my brain and look back she spoke exactly the way that you are telling us that we should. God bless Mrs. Majors.
Thanks for sharing Dave! :)
I find myself pronouncing and spelling the queens English way because of my love of all things from my ancestry. Brit Irish mostly. X
I agree with David Smith. My wife and I are both Californians and we always say the T in all those words. Apparently, we are both British as well.
The examples of "American" prononuciation often include a stop as opposed to the actual "t", or you hear a "second" "n" assimilated to the "...ify". So it comes off as "iden,nify". I often say the 't", but then one of my grandparents was English.
I love drop t thank you Rachel for sharing this tip
I live in Florida. When I was saying ofen, with no T, my teacher corrected me that I am wrong saying ofTen:) In spite of the fact, I always say ofen:) I asked her what is the correct way to pronounce the word? She said with no T. I said sorry, but you pronounce all the time ofTen, she said no you are wrong. The next day, she said ofTen many times, my classmates were just laughing. In reality, Americans don't hear what they are saying.
That is so true. I was told not to say oFTen drop the t. Now I'm confused. 🤣
@@ShirlBussman My proposition is to continue to drop T😆
@@lifeasis266 Thanks because I really don't think at my age that I will
stop it anyway. 🤣🤣🤣
There are dictionaries of pronunciation buy one.
LOL often = ofen for most Americans
There is a variation on the dropped T I have noticed in myself (American) and others. This is a D for a T substitution. I hear this in numbers. Thir-dee for thirty, for-dee for forty, and so on through 90. I suspect it is done in other words as well.
Thanks a lot, Raquel for your feedback
@Antonio You are welcome!
Thank you so much Rachel for your clear, amazing and compelling explanation about the correct pronunciation of all those English words. Furthermore in my opinion, the American English pronunciation is clearer than the British English pronunciation, so I can understand American English much better than British English because I'm pretty used to the American accent since forever. 😊
I appreciate it Ernesto!
As a Chicagoan, the "want another" and "one another" reductions do *not* sound the same for me.
In "want another," the first vowel is a very clear /a/. It has the same vowel as my "hot" or "cot."
In "one another," that first vowel is a /ə/, which is the same as my pronunciation of the vowel in "cup" or "but."
British Received Pronunciation pronounces the letter t always. However, most Brits don't use RP, and many regional accents drop the t. The glottal t is a good example of this
This is it
What most teachers don't notice is that both American and British English are loosing popularity to the "global" English (spoken by non-natives) which could be described as non-lazy American English. So for eg. neighbour is neighbor but you do pronounce the T in all the words mentioned.
@@ziomalisty losing and loosing are different words ))
@@timofeyshtokolov8093 Right, thanks :)
A lot of regional British accents drop the t, for example, the infamous glottal stop.
I was born and live in Northern California. I spent my childhood and young adult life devouring books. I do not drop t's in these described instances.
I love your way how you teach us!! Thnk i appreciate it !!! Greetings from Nicaragua 🇳🇮 i've subscribed 👍
Thank you Reymer!
As a Japan-born Japanese with my first English teacher being British, it’s so hard for me to listen to English spoken by American people, of especially younger generation. I myself wouldn’t drop T sound when I speak but this helps me listening to American English.
Same here, Satoh-Fukuhara-San!
Just letting you know in most of the American examples the T is not dropped, it is rushed or softened. I know because for me when I say "twenty" I still tap my mouth on the t part, though it doesn't make it sound like "twen-ti"
I don't know how true this is, but I have heard it claimed that the American tapped "t" is the same as the Japanese "r" sound.
Ik, its hilariously ironic they mock brits for T dropping and they all drop them or pronounce them as Ds
@@SaishoVibes to non Americans it sounds like you are skipping the T unlike when its pronounced in wader or pardy
As a native speaker I found this video to be very interesting, however for those out there who are actively learning the language I recommend that you pronounce the T for the following reasons:
1. Whether you pronounce the T or not, native speakers will not notice and it will not make you sound any more fluent.
2. Unless your english is already at a very high level in terms of correct pronunciation, emphasis, rhythm etc. Not pronouncing the T may sound like a mistake and possibly make it even harder for people to understand you.
In my experience it is one of those things where when we say the word slowly, we pronounce the T because it is meant to be pronounced. However when used practically or in conversation the T may end up being silent unintentionally.
Thanks
Good points. It also helps with spelling. Saying and hearing the T will be reflected in writing.
hard for drop the T 😭
Yes, I highly suggest not dropping the T. It helps you picture the word and guide you in spelling it. Plus, it's also the right way. Just because native speakers do it, doesn't mean it's the right way.
THANK YOU.
Ooh, ooh! I found a couple words where the t sound can be dropped! Plentiful and plenty!
I grew up in NYC, moved South as a boy and have always spoken without any accent and work as a voice actor. I always pronounce these words correctly with the "t" and would only pronounce otherwise if I were voicing the roll of a poorly educated American.
You dropped the T at 4:55 when you said "no interruption...".
Greetings from Argentina! You're really good at teaching American English.
Great ears for noticing that! Kudos!
@Joscha Wexler yes, she drop t with sentence. But just chill and experience more.
No she isn't! You only think she is because you're from Argentina.
Argentinians learning “American”! Malvinas are from Argentina ! 😂
😂 I love trolls ❤️
I've seen on several platforms British accent being voted as the most beautiful one across the English language. I consider the proud and graceful pronunciation of the "t" to be one of the reasons.
I've lived in United States most of my life and t is pronounced in various parts where I lived except in words Action pronounced acshun, Chevrolet pronounced Chevrolay and Tsar or Czar pronounced Zar.
ali kar
thank you so much my dear teacher, that was so useful especially for none_native speaker s like me. you explain the details very well and the examples you use are so effective , so we can learn the lesson much more better, and this is appreciated by me, by the way ,I have a question. in the word"hunter" why don't we drop the "t"? according to the rule that you described I think I should remove the"t", but it is not like that ?thanks a lot for your answer
Thank you for the lesson.
You're welcome Muhamad!
I'm from Texas, and I nearly always enunciate the 't' in these words. Sometimes, depending on context, it is downplayed or more subtle, but it's never silent.
Same here
I'm a native Spanish speaker and I notice this all the time. Once I talked to an American guy, and she pronounce the word "advantages" without "t" sound and I asked her to repeat it again and she pronounced as British accent. I consider it's a thing that happens all the time in American speech, and people don't even notice it
What english have you learned in school ? Except in Europe, don't teach they all the american way ? And by all the hollywood movies, you must get used to this.
She? I thought you said "guy". Guy is man, isn't it?
My guess is that Alejando is from Spain. In Spain, people probably try to learn European-style English. Similarly, Europeans who study Spanish typically study ''European'' or ''Peninsular'' Spanish.
@@m.wildanmubarok3478 I think this might be something lost in translation, although ''tipo'' or a similar word in Spanish also refers only to a man, so not sure why they have said ''guy'' for a woman.
I am fixing to teach English to a Spanish speaker, and it seems like I want to start with American pronunciation. I said "plate" and she thought I said "play"...
Thanks Rachel. I enjoyed learning this one!😊
That's great Juli!
I’m Brazilian and my boyfriend is American from PA, a very educated 65 y old man. He gets me crazy dropping all those Ts an Ds. What shocked me more was dentist, without the T. He said to me that Americans in general are very sluggish with the language when speaking informally.