American Accent🇺🇸: Master the FLAP T and R transition [water, daughter, better, computer]

170,120 views ・ 2019-05-08

Accent's Way English with Hadar


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:00
Hey, it's Hadar.
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Today I'm gonna talk about a tricky transition in American English - the
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flap T and the R as in the word 'butter', 'greater' and 'daughter'.
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I'm gonna talk about the two sounds: the flap T and the R,
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and how to put them together in an effortless and accurate way.
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So, let's get started.
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Let's first talk about what is the flap T.
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The flap T is a unique pronunciation of the T when it appears between
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two vowels in unstressed syllables.
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So, for example, if we take the word 'notice': if I pronounce it with the
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true T how people usually perceive the T to be, it's going to sound
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like 'noʊTice', 'noʊTice', where I bring the tip of the tongue up and
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then I pronounce the T - 'noTice'.
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But in this situation, when the T is between two vowels and the
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syllable is not stressed, it's not the primary stress of the word,
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then the T changes to /r/ - 'noʊDice'.
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You may say that it sounds like a D, but notice that it's not a real D
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cuz I don't say 'noʊDis', 'noʊ Dis'.
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It's, let's say, a very very light D - 'noʊdɪs'.
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What the tongue does is it comes up to touch the upper palate and instead
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of blocking the air and releasing, it kind of gives the upper palate
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a high-five - 'noʊdɪs', 'noʊdɪs'.
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You keep the voice going that's why it sounds to you like a
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D, but it's not really a D.
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It's [ɾ].
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And for those of you who have sharp ears will notice that it
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actually sounds more like a Spanish soft R, as in the word 'pero'.
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And if you've seen my previous videos about the flap T, you
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know that I've used this example.
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And I think it's so easy to understand it like that.
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Listen: 'pero', 'noʊdɪs', 'noʊdɪs'.
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So it's the same sound actually.
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If you don't have the [ɾ] sound in your language, then don't worry about it.
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Just try to make it a very light D.
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Okay?
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So that's the flap T.
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Again: 'noʊdɪs', 'actividi', and ˈbɛdi'.
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Now, the flap T appears very often before an R, especially at the end of words.
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Like in 'water' and 'greater'.
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Now, here what we want to do is instead of bringing the tongue down
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after the flap T, you want to pull it in immediately for the American R.
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For the American R, the tongue pulls back and the sides of the tongue
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touch the sides of the upper teeth.
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Now, if this is the first time that you're learning about the American
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R, then maybe you don't need to work on this transition first cuz it's
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going to be a little more challenging.
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What I recommend is for you to go and master the American R first - and
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you can watch my video about how to pronounce the R - and then come back
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here and work on this transition.
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Otherwise, it's going to be a little too confusing.
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Okay?
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But if you know how to pronounce the R or at least you're working towards it,
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then this lesson is definitely for you.
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So, from the flap T - 'whadda', you pull the tongue in rather quickly
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until the sides of the tongue touch the sides of the teeth.
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ˈwɔdər'. Your tongue can be up, can be down.
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I mean, I recommend for you to keep it up because it's going to
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be easier, but remember that what really matters when it comes to the
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R is what the sides of the tongue do.
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Okay?
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It's how they push against the teeth and the curve that you have in your
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tongue in the back part of your tongue.
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Okay?
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So, remember that there is no vowel between the flap T and the R.
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'water', 'd'rr', 'd'rr'.
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It's not 'dare', 'wadare, greadare' - there is no 'e' sound.
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Even though you see the letter E, it's not an 'e', it's a schwa, right,
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and the schwa is a reduced vowel.
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And the R actually takes over the schwa sound.
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So, basically, it's just a flap T and the R.
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Now, let's practice the transition a bit more: 'd'rr, d'rr, d'rr'.
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Remember that when you want to master the transition in words, phrases,
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sentences, and free speech, you have to train your tongue to do just the
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transition smoothly and effortlessly.
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So, you want to find yourself doing this - 'd'r, d'r, d'r' about 30 to
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40 times a day until you master it.
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And if it's hard for you to make the flap T - 'r'r, 'r'r, and then the transition
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to the R, then start with a D: d'r, d'r.
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Train your tongue to go through this transition without adding a
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vowel in between: d'r, d'r, d'r.
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So you can start with a D - d'r, d'r, d'r.
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When it's rather easy you can start making the D a little lighter - d'r, d'r, d'r.
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And then start making it like the flap T - 'r'r, 'r'r, 'r'r.
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Does that make sense?
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I hope it does!
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Let's put it in words.
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'daughter', 'daughter'.
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You'll notice that once you do this transition over and over again, then
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in the words, it's like easy-peasy.
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'daughter'.
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Make sure that the first vowel - the vowel before - is longer.
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Okay?
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So you give yourself time to kind of prepare for this transition.
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'daughter', 'water', 'better', 'butter', 'greater', 'smarter'.
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I tricked you here.
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Try it again.
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Why was that difficult?
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'smarter'.
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It was a little different than the previous ones because of the R.
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There was another R, right?
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'smarter'.
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So, you need to hear transition from the R to the flap T-R.
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But you can do it, you can do it.
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Don't worry.
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So, first of all, remind yourself the transition - 'd'r, d'r, d'r', and
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then say the first part of the word: 'smar, smar, smar-, der, smar-der'.
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Now, if it's hard for you to do the flap T, that really light tap after
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an R, it's okay if it sounds like a D.
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Okay?
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'smar-d'r'.
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By the way, the flap T appears between two vowels in unstressed
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syllables, but also between an R and a vowel in unstressed syllables.
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This is why it's still a flap T.
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Technically, this is an R vowel.
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So this is why it's still valid the rule.
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So, 'smar-d'r'.
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Right?
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It's okay if it sounds closer to a D - 'smar-d'r', but we're working
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on the transition between the T and the R - 'smar-d'r', 'd'r'.
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Okay?
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Good.
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Now, practice this with me.
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Let's start.
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Betty bought a bit of butter;
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“But,” she said, “this butter's bitter!
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If I put it in my batter,
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It will make my batter bitter."
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So she bought some better butter,
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better than the bitter butter. And she put it in her batter,
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and it made her batter better.
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A lot of flap T's and R's here.
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So, good for you!
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You can do it over and over again.
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This is an excellent practice for you to master this flap T and R transition.
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Now, if you want to download a practice sheet with words with R and then
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sentences with R with my audio in it, then come on over to my website,
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click the link below and grab it.
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It's totally free, and what I want you to do is to practice it many many
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times until you make it your own.
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Because remember - practice makes better.
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Why better?
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Because perfect is overrated!
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Anyway, once you grab this practice sheet, I want you to
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practice it quite a few times.
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And then you will see how it's easier for you to pronounce this transition and
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words that you weren't able to pronounce before, how it's easier for you to
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pronounce them smoothly and accurately.
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Okay?
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And once it happens, I want to hear all about it in the comments below this video.
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So, have a wonderful week, I will see you next week in the next video.
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Bye.
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