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.
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 | 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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