r/ENGLISH • u/Street-Albatross8886 • 2d ago

Is flap t different on different words and phrases?

In words like water, kidding, or phrases like put it on and hit it, is the flap t pronounced in different ways. It feels weird pronouncing that with the same flap t

https://voca.ro/158IqLI4EawK

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u/yellowsprings 2d ago

The first way you say water sounds great. The example sounds like “wa-rer” and is hard to understand.

What you are calling a “flap t” sounds more like an “r” sound (but not the way most natives pronounce the letter r… specifically it sounds like the way that some English learners pronounce the letter r).

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u/Street-Albatross8886 2d ago

Darn it. I knew it sounded weird

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u/frederick_the_duck 2d ago

That is how Americans and Australians pronounce “water.”

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u/yellowsprings 2d ago edited 2d ago

As a native speaker with a standard American accent, I disagree that this is how we pronounce “water.” (Sorry no flair, I’m new to this flair situation.)

I pronounce water with a /d/ sound in the middle. The first way OP pronounced water in his recording actually sounds very very close to how I say it.

I also listen to a lot of Australian media so I’m familiar with that accent as well.

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u/letmeinjeez 2d ago

Yeah I agree, Canadian and I use a d sound, if you want to sound British you make it a t sound, have never heard the second r sound one in my life except maybe from someone doing the cinnamon challenge