American t+n pronunciation

American t+n pronunciation Learn to pronounce these tricky consonant sounds that are unique to American English. American t+n combination.

It’s Lisa Mojsin with another lesson to help you sound more American when you’re speaking English. This lesson is quite difficult. So if you can’t create this sound combination right away, be patient with yourself cause even some advanced students take a few days sometimes before they can do it correctly. But once you do it right, you really have a great American accent.

Articulation

In words ending with t+n their midway vowels kind of disappear without being really pronounced. They don’t really count and we don’t say mountain literally as [‘mauntein]. So we link, though not blend t+n together.

In American English that t isn’t released. When the tongue touches to create [t], generally we release the tongue. In this case make sure there’s no release. In words like cotton keep your tongue up without releasing it. The moment you release your tongue, you sound British. In American cotton press your tongue up for [t] and then continue to create [n] without really moving your tongue.

Lisa just changes from air flow stopping to air now coming up through the nose to create [n]. The tongue touches up and air comes out through the nose for the n sound without the tongue moving. So separate t+n by this abrupt air interruption.

Practice

Lisa says words 3 different ways each with the last one as American accent. The first 2 ways sound British. Listen carefully to hear the difference.

written

[‘ritәn – ‘ridәn – ‘ritn]

cotton

[‘kotәn – ‘korәn – ‘katn]

button

[‘batәn – ‘badәn – ‘batn]

Other examples:

Bill Clinton

[‘bil ‘klintn]

mountain

[‘mauntn]

kitten

[‘kitn]

curtain

[‘ke:tn]

Sample sentences:

My cotton shirt has buttons.

I’ve forgotten when the book was written.

I’m certain that’s the tallest mountain.

So if you can’t get this sound right away, just keep practicing a little bit longer and you’ll get it. Doing your best means: Never stop trying!