LISTEN
/t/.../t/.../t/.../t/...

take…stand…put…after…

WHAT IS IT?
Pronunciation
The sound /t/ is a voiceless, alveolar, stop consonant.
  • Touch your alveolar ridge (the hard space behind your upper teeth) with the tip of your tongue.
  • Move your tongue sharply downward and let air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

The sound /t/ can be in these clusters:​
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
<
>
/st/ - store
​/tr/ - try
/tw/ - twin
/str/ - street
​/ts/ (sometimes “tes’) - hits, rates
/pt/ (sometimes “ped” / "pped") - apt, hoped, ripped
/spt/ (“sped”) - rasped
/rpt/ (“rped”) - warped
/mpt/ (sometimes “mped”) - prompt, pumped
/lpt/ (“lped”) - helped
/kt/ (“ct” / “ked,” / “cked”) - act, baked, locked
/kts/ - acts
​/kst/ (“xed”) - faxed
/lkt/ (“lked”) - milked
/rkt/ (“rked”)​ - parked
/ft/ (sometimes “fed” / "ghed") - raft, goofed, coughed ​
​/fts/ - rafts​
​​​/mft/ (“mphed”) - triumphed
​/st/ (sometimes spelled “ssed”) - lost, tossed
/rst/ (sometimes spelled “rsed” or "rced") - worst, cursed, forced
/ʃt/ (“shed”) - finished
/θt/ (“thed”) - badmouthed
/tʃt/ (“ched”) - fetched
/ntʃt/ (“nched”) - punched
/ltʃt/ (“lched”) - filched
/rtʃt/ (“rched”) - arched
/rt/ - sort
/rts/ - arts
/lt/ - felt
/lts/ - faults
/nt/ - hint
​/nts/ - mints

Spelling
  • “t” – time, try
  • "te" - late, write​
  • “tt” – mitt, better
  • “th” (not common) – thyme, Thai
  • “ed” – rushed, missed​
​
grammar_-t-.mp3
File Size: 240 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File
Grammar Point
The “-ed” ending is used to mark most past tense verbs, some past participles, and some participial adjectives. The “-ed” ending is pronounced /t/ after a voiceless consonant that is not /t/ (/p/, /k/, /f/, /s/ /ʃ/, /tʃ/).
  •  helped, laughed, missed, rushed, watched

COMPARE
Compare /t/ with /d/:
compare_t-d_1.mp3
File Size: 161 kb
File Type: mp3
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/t/…/d/…/t/…/d/…/t/…/d/…

These are both alveolar stop consonants. However, /t/ is a voiceless consonant and /d/ is a voiced consonant. When you pronounce /t/, your vocal cords should not vibrate.

​​Listen to words with /t/ and /d/, and identify which word you hear. Choose A or B. You will hear the word twice, followed by the answer.
compare_t-d_2.mp3
File Size: 424 kb
File Type: mp3
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1. A. time, B. dime
2. A. try, B. dry
3. A. mate, B. made
4. A. built, B. build
5. A. hurts, B. herds​
​Now, compare /t/ and /θ/:
compare_t-th_1.mp3
File Size: 142 kb
File Type: mp3
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/t/…/θ/…/t/…/θ/…/t/…/θ/…

These are both voiceless, alveolar consonants. However, /t/ is a stop and /θ/ is a fricative. When you pronounce /t/, the air in your mouth should be stopped, then released.
Listen to words with /t/ and /θ/, and identify which word you hear. Choose A or B. You will hear the word twice, followed by the answer.
compare_t-th_2.mp3
File Size: 413 kb
File Type: mp3
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1. A. tank, B. thank
2. A. tree, B. three
3. A. bat, B. bath
4. A. hurt, B. hearth
​5. A. tent, B. tenth

PRACTICE
Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-t-.mp3
File Size: 580 kb
File Type: mp3
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1. take
2. try
3. truth
4. store
5. street
6. late
7. pots
8. best
9. melt
10. helped
11. worst
12. barked
13. fixed
14. theater
15. mentor
16. restroom
17. afternoon
18. entrance
19. strategic
20. entertainment
Now, practice /t/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-t-.mp3
File Size: 1698 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File
1. ate - leftover - breakfast
I ate leftover food for breakfast. 
2. ​worked - night - project 
I worked all night to finish the project.
3. technician - fixed - tablet 
The technician fixed my tablet for me.
4. sist​er - worst - part - city
My sister lives in the worst part of the city.
5. missed - football - yesterday
I missed seeing the football game yesterday.
6.  teacher - starts - taking - attendance
​The teacher starts class by taking attendance. 

USE IT!
​​Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

​Prepare:
Which of these activities did you do when you were a teenager? Did you enjoy them, or do you regret them?​​
  • Stayed out late
  • Wrote poetry
  • Went on a “blind date”
  • Worked at a part-time job
  • Took a road trip
  • Watched too much television
  • Wrote college essays​
  • Graduated high school
  • Learned to play an instrument
  • Dressed up for a school dance
  • Went to parties
  • Started a savings account
  • Got a tattoo
  • Saw your favorite band in concert
  • Got perfect grades
  • Took extra classes after school
  • Stayed out late
  • Wrote poetry
  • Went on a “blind date”
  • Worked at a part-time job
  • Took a road trip
  • Watched too much television
  • Wrote college essays​
  • Graduated high school​
  • Learned to play an instrument
  • Dressed up for a school dance
  • Went to parties
  • Started a savings account
  • Got a tattoo
  • Saw your favorite band in concert
  • Got perfect grades
  • Took extra classes after school
​
Record:
In your recording, explain which activities you did as a teenager and how you feel about them now.
(Pay attention to past tense “-ed” endings that are pronounced as either /d/, /t/, or /əd/.)

© 2018, Christine Wingate