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T Sounds Part 1: Word Lists
Practice with these word lists.  Click on "watch video" to hear the instructor and repeat the words. Because the T sounds are important, this lesson is longer than most. Remember to take your time with every lesson. Review the rules, word lists and sentences for two or more days until you feel confident.

Most of our T sound words have stress on the 1st syllable. There are some long words with stress on the 2nd and 3rd syllable listed below.

Watch Video: Listen and Repeat the Words
T Sound Words--Stress the 1st Syllable

T = D Sound
 T and N
 TU = CH, DU = J
bottleneck
 notable
 counter
 actually
creditor
 notary
 enterprise
 amateur
data
 notice
 gentleman
 feature
fortify
 prototype *
 internet
 fixture
letterhead
 strategy
 intersection
 fraudulent
line item
 subtle
 interval
 juncture
meeting
 total
 quantum leap
 natural
monitor
 Twitter
 patent **
 nurture
positive
 vertical
 scrutiny **
 venture
negative
 veteran
 threatening **
 virtual
* In "prototype" only the first T becomes a D sound. It combines "proto" meaning "first" with "type."
** For these three words, use the T before N rule, as in PA'NT, SCROO'N'EE and THRE'N'NING. For all other words in this column, the T is silent.





T Sound Words with 2nd Syllable Stress

T = D Sound
 T and N
 TU = CH, DU = J
competitive
 identify
 eventually
hiatus
 identity *
 expenditure
velocity
 acquaintance
 habitual

monotonous
 procedure

important
 unfortunate
*The first T is silent, and the second T has a D sound.
 

T Sound Words with 3rd Syllable Stress

T = D Sound
 T and N
 TU = CH, DU = J
creativity*
 elemental
 educational
get across
 fundamental
 graduation **
ultimatum *
 horizontal
 individual

intercompany
 situation **

supplemental
 undulation **
* In creativity, the stress is on the first T, so that one is a regular T. However, the ending -ity is usually not on the stress. -ity = idee. In ultimatum, people often say the first T (though they might reduce it to a D when speaking quickly). The second T is pronounced as a D.

** The -tion ending is pronounced shun. This is the most common spelling in which TI has an SH sound. There are just a few exceptions, especially the word question. Say kwes-chun. Other words with TI that sounds like SH are included in the lesson on SH.


Here are a few words where you can hear the T sound changing when the stress changes.

Middle T = D
 Middle T = T
creative
 creativity*
relative
 relativity*
strategy
 strategic
* remember that -ity sounds like -idee.

Common Exceptions
protest, politics, protein. Also, with attitude and fortitude, there is a T sound on -tude. The first T sound is D, as in aditude and forditude.

Also, in a few common endings like -tory and -tary, as in inventory or voluntary, the T is never reduced.


750 Business Words

T Sounds Main Page


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