By Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, licensed speech-language pathologist
(Video Transcript)
Hi, I’m Julie with San Diego Voice and Accent, and in this video you’ll learn how to link words together using the stop T.
The American T sound is somewhat unique. It can be pronounced three different ways depending on where it occurs in the word and in the sentence. I discussed all three T sounds in an earlier video, so if you’d like more background information about the American T sound, I recommend you watch that video first.
In this video, I’m going to discuss the stop T. This is also called the glottal stop or the glottal T - all three terms refer to the same sound.
For all 4 places Americans use this sound, with word lists and common mistakes, see my complete guide to the glottal stop.
To see where the stop T falls in your own sentences, type them into my free American English IPA translator and choose Everyday speech.
How to make the stop T
The stop T, also called the glottal stop or glottal T, is one of three American T sounds. It is made with the vocal cords, not the tongue: the vocal cords close to stop the airflow while the tongue stays still. It can be used instead of the true T in some words.
The stop T is made with the vocal cords. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. The vocal cords come together to stop the airflow, and the tongue doesn’t do anything. It just sits there in the mouth, waiting for the next sound. The stop T is made only with the vocal cords. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
There should be a distinct stop to the airflow - ah.
Sometimes my accent clients will only stop voicing, ahhhh, ahhh, but they don’t actually close the vocal cords together. Make sure you are closing your vocal cords together - ah. There should be a sharp end to the sound.
The stop T can be used instead of the true T in words like written /ˈɹɪʔ.n̩/ and atmosphere /ˈæʔ.mə.sfɪɹ/. And it can also be used in place of the true T at the end of a word when you connect the words together, like in hot dog /ˈhɑʔ ˌdɑɡ/ and Kit Kat /ˈkɪʔ ˌkæt/.
When to use the stop T
But how do you know when to use a stop T to link two words together? Luckily, there is a rule!
Native speakers sometimes use a stop T when a word ends in a T and the next word begins with a consonant, and almost always when the next word begins with a stop consonant, like a /t/ or /d/, /k/ or /g/, or /p/ or /b/ sound. Let’s look at some examples.
Linking with stop T: Words
Hot dog.
The T in hot is a stop T because the next word, dog, begins with a stop consonant, the /d/ sound.
Kit Kat.
The T in Kit is a stop T because the next word, Kat, begins with a stop consonant, the /k/ sound.
It said.
The T in it is a stop T because the next word, said, begins with a consonant, the /s/ sound.
Linking with stop T: Sentences
Now let’s look at the stop T in sentences. I’ll say the full sentence three times at my normal pace, and then I’ll say it three times slowly. Then I’ll say the two words that link together using the stop T three times. Repeat after me.
I wake up at seven.
at seven
It should be here today.
It should
I love to eat good pizza.
eat good
The book is about my family.
about my
You forgot to buy milk!
forgot to
I hope this video helped you with linking using the stop T. Thanks so much for watching!
If you'd like feedback on your own speech, I offer private American accent coaching on Zoom.
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Interested in more American English pronunciation practice? Be sure to check out some of my most popular online resources (all free!):
- Dark L and Light L exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract (SOVT) exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Stressed and Unstressed Syllables exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- AH /ɑ/ and UH /ʌ/ Vowel pronunciation exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- American R /ɹ/ Consonant pronunciation exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Vowel to Vowel Linking exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Consonant to Vowel Linking exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Word Reductions and English Rhythm exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- N /n/ and NG /ŋ/ Consonant pronunciation exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Respiratory and Breath Support exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for English Vowels: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for English Consonants: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Resonatory and Vocal Projection exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Articulatory and Tongue Twister exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Glottal Stop T /ʔ/, Flap T /ɾ/, and True T /t/ exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowel pronunciation exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Presentation Skills Training exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
- Sentence-level Stress and Content Word Stress exercises: Free, downloadable and printable pdf
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