The sound in wa/t/er, la/dd/er, daugh/t/er in US English

[Effie10]

Hi Can sb please help me learn how to pronounce that sound? (if it's indeed one sound). Does the tongue move towards the front or backwards? Does it touch right above the teeth? I've no idea how to say it

Thanks

 

[birdeen's call]

In US English, it's the sound that you dentote by rho in Greek but pronounced very shortly.

 

[Avalon]

yes...it´s called the flap, and it sounds like the R in red, river..etc..you can hear it and try to imitate it by going to thefreedictionary.com....type in the word in the search box and click on the american flag icon.

 

[birdeen's call]

yes...it´s called the flap, and it sounds like the R in red, river..etc..you can hear it and try to imitate it by going to thefreedictionary.com....type in the word in the search box and click on the american flag icon.

It's indeed the alveolar flap. But it's not the sound that you hear in "river" or "red" in American English.

 

[Avalon]

It's indeed the alveoral flap. But it's not the sound that you hear in "river" or "red" in American English.

Well, if I say out loud..the water in the river is red..I do think they sound similar enough, though as you say, yes, they are not exactly the SAME sound...the flap would then touch the palate, whereas the river and red won´t.

 

[jessika]

Yes, the sound of the "t" in water, daughter and other words like bitter, or baby sitter is called a flap "r". Unlike the liquid "r", your tounge comes up and hits the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth quickly and comes down again. I don't know Greek but it sounds like the Spanish "r" if the "r" comes in the middle of the sentance like in Barcelona.

 

[Raymott]

Well, if I say out loud..the water in the river is red..I do think they sound similar enough, though as you say, yes, they are not exactly the SAME sound...the flap would then touch the palate, whereas the river and red won´t.

They may sound similar when you say them, but the 'r' in 'river' and 'red' is not a flap, or tap. /ɹ/ and /ɾ/are not similar.

 

[Braidy]

Retired teacher

To me these all sound like d.

 

[MiaCulpa]

Hi Can sb please help me learn how to pronounce that sound? (if it's indeed one sound). Does the tongue move towards the front or backwards? Does it touch right above the teeth? I've no idea how to say it

Thanks

Mechanically, the "d" sound of "ladder" makes the tongue move to the front to linger very briefly above the teeth. With the "t" sounds in the other two words, the tongue also moves forward, and it barely touches above the teeth, but with a small, sharp aspiration (or breath) directed at the tip of the tongue so that it sounds slightly less fluid than the "d." Hope that helps too.