Davidrock65  +  295930 Tue, 21 Nov 06 02:37 PM Dear teachers A.  In conversation, can and can't sound very similar when spoken softly, as if the "t" sound were nonexistent.  How do I pronounce can't clearly without confusing people?  Should I stop for a sec on the "t" sound? B.  I find it very hard to pronounce the " l " sound  when reading this paragraph " He fell off the bike and rolled down the slope."   Would it be OK if I skip the "L" sound?  Because rolled and rowed sound similar when spoken softly. Thanks for answering Davidrock65 Joined on Wed, Apr 19 2006 taipei Full Member 237 Conversations, Paragraphs

	Kooyeen  +  295959 Tue, 21 Nov 06 04:22 PM Hi Davidrock65, your question is a good one. I didn't really understand that can-can't difference before I read a book to improve my pronunciation. The t in can't is pronounced more or less like the t in hot. It's a final t, it's not pronounced as clearly as in top. You practically don't hear it. So, you might be wondering, how do I distinguish can from can't? The answer is: considering stress and intonation. Look: I can touch it!    (touch is stressed, can is not. A unstressed can is pronounced with a schwa, cuh-n) I can't touch it! (here you stress also can't, and it is pronounced with an a like in cancel.) Now, the problem is, what if I also want to stress can? The answer is "I don't know!" It's not clear to me too, I think we should wait for some native speakers. Here's some examples: I can   ( A sterssed can is pronounced with an a like in cancel) I can't ( It's pronounced the same as the above, but with a t, which is not pronounced very clearly though... ) I can't touch it... No, wait, I can touch it!  (I can't pronounce these two differently, and I think I wouldn't get the difference if I heard them... this is confusing to me too ) PS: American English point of view, see my signature. Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Veteran Member 5,200 I'm on your internets, degrading your language with my ignorance and apathy Intonations, American English, Pronunciation

	nona the brit  +  295994 Tue, 21 Nov 06 06:41 PM In British English the 'a' sound is very different between can and can't too. The can't one is much longer, almost as though the word were spelled 'carnt'. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,773 The name says it all. British English

	Marvin A.  +  301785 Fri, 08 Dec 06 06:40 AM If you're aiming for a British accent, the vowel sound in the words can [ k{n ] and [ k_hAnt ] are very different. In North American English, the vowel is the same for both, but /t/ is usually realised as a glottal stop at the end of "can't". Marvin A. Joined on Fri, Dec 8 2006 Regular Member 638 Vowels, Accents, American English, British Accent, Glottals