http://www.englishforums.com/English/FrequentlyAskedEnglishQuestions-AnswersArchivedPosts/Forum31.htmArea designed to store the most commonly asked questions and their accepted answers.enXMOD (Build: 3615.39139)http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#229537Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:229537Harmatan0http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#229537http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-229537.xmlI've totally understood what you meant. Thanks a lot. Best wish.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#229523Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:229523CalifJim1http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#229523http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-229523.xmlI'm not familiar with MLB. In American English it is very common to omit the "t" when it follows a stressed syllable ending in "n" and precedes an unstressed syllable beginning with a vowel. "winter" and "winner" are indistinguishable. The absence of the t sound here is not an aspirated t , as you seem to suggest in your post. I don't recommend imitating this pronunciation unless you live in a community where it is very common. Use a neutral or slightly aspirated t instead. There is an exception -- the verb "want". "want to" and "want a" are both pronounced "wanna" if you are speaking fairly fast in an informal setting. The past tense is often said "wannid". "wanted to" is often "wannida". I don't see any great...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#229220Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:229220Harmatan2http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#229220http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-229220.xmlAbove all, it was very kind of you to take the time to answer. I'm falling into a dilemma due to pronunciation of /t/. When I tune in to MLB, many anchors say " ~ center field ~". As far as I listen, they prounce 'center' as /sener/. - I think that is aspired /t/. I just want to focus on "t" sound. So when it comes to 'winter', 'counter' , 'sentence' and so on, could I prounce like that??? I'm so curious... Help me, please. Best regards.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#228325Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:228325CalifJim3http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#228325http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-228325.xml1. It is not a significant mistake to interchange t sounds. You will be understood no matter how you pronounce your t 's -- as long as you don't pronounce them as m 's or j' s, of course! In fact, if you don't use the tapped t at all, for example, you will simply be pronouncing more in the British style. (We associate the tapped t with American pronunciation.) 2. I am 98.44% certain that the neutral t I describe above is essentially the unaspirated Romance Language t (Spanish, French, Italian). Whatever differences there are, if any, must be minimal. 3. Your rule for tapped t is just slightly off. Tapped t ( t like d or like Spanish r ) is used only in four cases, all of them between a stressed and unstressed syllable. ...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#228202Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:228202EyeSeeYou4http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#228202http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-228202.xmlVery useful info! *claps hands* Some questions: 1) Is it considered an important mistake if a non-native speaker uses a type of /t/ sound incorrectly (i.e. using an aspirated instead of a stopped t)? Will they be clearly understood nontheless? 2) Is the neutral t identical to the t used in Spanish in terms of sound? 3) I've gathered this from some notes of mine about flapped or tapped t: Flap t occurs with any medial t that: 1) comes at the beginning of an unstressed syllable and 2) happnes between voiced sounds.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#227677Mon, 25 May 2009 09:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:227677CalifJim5http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#227677http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-227677.xmlExplanation of the chart with examples. Before or after s (or f), t is neutral (first row; first column). Other than the case above, t before r or a stressed vowel is aspirated. (cols. 2, 3) Word-initial t is also aspirated. (row 2) A t after a vowel or after an r and before an unstressed vowel or syllabic L is tapped (and voiced). Other than the cases above, s t after a vowel or after an r is stopped. ( ). And so on. Examples: las t s Wa t son ar t ful an t s fac t s s t reet os t rich s t ory ex t ent af t er ex t ra nes t raf t t'ruck at'rophy at'rocious fort'ress ent'rance act'ress t'orrent t'eabag at'omic att'end art'erial curt'ail ult'erior int'ernal fict'itious t'omorrow t'oday t'wist i t em...http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#227670Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:227670CalifJim6http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#227670http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-227670.xmlThe chart shows the "unmarked" usage of allophones of /t/. The "marked" form is the aspirated . It can be used anywhere for emphasis. Symbols listed down the leftmost column are sounds that precede t. Symbols listed across the top row are the sounds that follow t. Symbols within the chart show which allophone of t is most usually heard in that context. For example, in the case of a t preceded by r and followed by an unstressed vowel, the tapped t is the most usual allophone used. In some cases more than one allophone is possible. s/f r V' 'V L l/n N C e# s/f t t t t - - - t t b# - t' t' t' - - - t' - V t t' t' t t .t .http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#227666Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:227666CalifJim7http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htm#227666http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-227666.xmlAllophones of /t/, continued. Other symbols that will be used in a chart to follow: V' stressed vowel a vowel relatively more stressed syllable of the word 'V unstressed vowel a vowel relatively less stressed syllable of the word V any vowel any vowel, whether stressed or not L syllabic L as in the final syllable of "little", "curdle" &nbsphttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htmSun, 25 Jan 2009 10:26:34 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:227657CalifJim8http://www.englishforums.com/English/HowPronounceAmericanEnglish/cmzmk/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-227657.xmlAllophones of /t/ in Standard American English I find these symbols the easiest to use without access to an IPA font. They also have the advantage that you can place them right into an English word to illustrate where they are used. (t'oma t o, s t at'is t ics, wi.tness, bo tt om, mat'ress). Symbol Name Description t' aspirated t t with an audible escape of air The more aspirated the t, the more the sound &n