The Held T Sound & Smooth Speech
Last weekend, one of my accent reduction coaching clients asked me a great question about the Held T sound.
He asked:
How do you say the T sound in the phrase “that they”? Is the T dropped? How should I pronounce it?
When to Use the Held T
In American English, the T is “held” when it occurs before another consonant.
It’s held in the throat. It’s not a sharp sound!
American English speakers use a held T within words:
- atmosphere
- atlas
- Atlanta
You should not say a strong T sound in these words.
American English speakers use a held T across word boundaries:
- that they
- that we
- won’t they
- can’t they
You should not say a strong T sound in these phrases.
Smoother American Speech
If you are trying to speak American English more smoothly…. with a less choppy sound, you should definitely learn how to use the Held T sound.
Where Can I Learn to Do This?
The Held T is not a difficult sound to learn. And using it will allow you to speak English more smoothly.
I teach you how to use all the sounds of the American T in my iBook, American Accent Fundamentals.
Get a Sample Chapter
My American Accent Fundamentals iBook is a clear and interactive guide that will teach you to speak American English more clearly and smoothly.
Try it!
Get a free sample chapter at the iBookstore.
It’s fun way to learn to learn your American T sounds and much more.
