how to pronounce "can't"

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Boris Tatarenko

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Hello.

I've been studying english for a long time, but I really don't know how to pronounce "can't" correct.
I heard there're several versions AmE and BrE. Is it the truth?

I could explain how I pronounce this word if you want to know it.
I'll be grateful if you give me a site, where I can hear a pronounciation of words. I prefer study American English pronounciation.

Thanks in advance.
 
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emsr2d2

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In BrE, there is more than one pronunciation and they're usually regional. I'm from the south-east of the UK and when I say it, it sounds like "car-nt" (note that the "r" is not heard). My flatmate who is from the Midlands (Birmingham area) says it like "can-t" (so it rhymes with "rant). There is no break where I have put the hyphen in either word, it's just to make the first sound clear.

Many words with an "a" in the middle have regional variations in BrE. Here are a few with at least two different pronunciations:

- Bath
- Grass
- Plant
- Glass
 

Boris Tatarenko

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I try to pronounce words like she.
I guess there's huge diffrenece between AmE and BrE.

If I compare your post (your way to pronounce "can't") with her video (her way). It seems to me that you're talking in diffireneces languages. :-D
 

emsr2d2

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Click HERE and just listen to the first two recorded pronunciations of the word "can't". The first is AmE, the second is BrE (the pronunciation I use). If you keep scrolling down, you'll find lots of other variants (Australian, Irish etc).
 

Winwin2011

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I try to pronounce words like she.
I guess there's huge diffrenece between AmE and BrE.

If I compare your post (your way to pronounce "can't") with her video (her way). It seems to me that you're talking in diffireneces languages. :-D

In the video 0.19.., Rachel said "..most Americans when they're speaking everyday speech --t-- don't release final T's".
Does " release" mean" pronounce ?

Thanks.
 

Rover_KE

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emsr2d2

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When a word is recorded for a site like that, it is done to give you the proper/correct pronunciation. The fact that the majority of native speakers don't say it that way in their everyday speech is not the point.
 

Winwin2011

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When a word is recorded for a site like that, it is done to give you the proper/correct pronunciation. The fact that the majority of native speakers don't say it that way in their everyday speech is not the point.

Thanks ems.

There was a time when I said "don't", I didn't pronounce the "T's". My child's American teacher told me that I should pronounce the "T's". Do teachesr always teach us to speak proper/correct pronunciation even though that the majority of native speakers say it that way?
 
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bhaisahab

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Thanks ems.

There was a time when I said "don't", I didn't pronounce the "T's". My child's American teacher told me that I should pronounce the "T's". What is your opinion about that?

My opinion is that you should pronounce the "t".
 

emsr2d2

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You should always pronounce the "t" at the end of a word. In reality, many of us don't, especially when it comes before another "t" at the beginning of the next word. In fact, I just said "next word" out loud and I didn't pronounce the "t" properly. It sounded like "nex word". That is how I would say it in everyday speech, to my friends and family and in any normal situation. I would say it the same way in a conversation class. If I were teaching a formal class, I would pronounce the "t" properly.

As my parents always said "Don't do as I do. Do as I say."
 

MikeNewYork

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I try to pronounce words like she.
I guess there's huge diffrenece between AmE and BrE.

If I compare your post (your way to pronounce "can't") with her video (her way). It seems to me that you're talking in diffireneces languages. :-D

The video is very good for AmE pronunciation of these two words.
 

Raymott

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It's all very well for Americans not to pronounce the /t/ if they can do it and be understood. There are many subtle phonetic variations from the standard that are acceptable only because they are understandable. If you are not a native speaker, you should say the /t/. It's far more important that you are understood than that you drop the 't' on 'can't'.
 

probus

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It's all very well for Americans not to pronounce the /t/ if they can do it and be understood. There are many subtle phonetic variations from the standard that are acceptable only because they are understandable. If you are not a native speaker, you should say the /t/. It's far more important that you are understood than that you drop the 't' on 'can't'.

Strongly agree with Raymott. The first thing is to make sure people understand what you say.
 

Winwin2011

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Thanks all of you

Other than the final T's, what other final sounds do the majority of native speakers don't pronounce them?
 

Raymott

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Thanks all of you

Other than the final T's, what other final sounds do the majority of native speakers don't pronounce them?
Have we established that the majority of native speakers don't pronounce final 't'?
 

Raymott

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Does " release" mean" pronounce ?

Thanks.
No, it doesn't.
This is more obvious with, say, 'n'. You can say 'nnnnnnnnnn', which is pronouncing it, but you haven't released it until you take your tongue away from the alveolar margin. For a /t/, /k/, /p/ almost all of the pronunciation is in the release.
 

bhaisahab

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