How do Americans pronounce the letter "t" in the end of words? Do they pronounce it like a "d"?
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6I think some examples narrowing down your question would be beneficial. I'm sure that a sentence such as "I like it" does not end in /d/.– Andrew Leach ♦Commented Aug 16, 2019 at 8:42
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This features is also sometimes found in the interior of words.– GEdgarCommented Aug 16, 2019 at 10:30
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Examples, please.– Hot LicksCommented Aug 16, 2019 at 11:40
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1@GEdgar I would say it’s only found in the interior of words, never word-finally. Bet and bed are not homophones in any dialect of AmE that I’m familiar with, though better and bedder are in many.– Janus Bahs JacquetCommented Aug 16, 2019 at 11:42
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3@Janus: it definitely can be found on the end of words. For example, the /t/ in I put it back. Not at the end of phrases, though, or words pronounced by themselves, which may be what you were thinking of.– Peter ShorCommented Aug 16, 2019 at 11:47
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1 Answer
A "T" on the end of a word may be pronounced "D" if the following word begins with certain sounds and the words are being pronounced rapidly. Peter Shor's example of "I put it back" is a good one.
Basically, if "put" is not for some reason being emphasized (as when your mother tells you "PUT ... IT ... BACK!!"), then the "T" sound in "put" is abbreviated -- the percussive "T" ending sound due to the tongue completely stopping air air flow does not occur because the mouth is already preparing to pronounce "it".
This is just normal speech, and is unlikely to vary much by dialect.
answered Aug 16, 2019 at 21:31
