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The word ‘city’ does not have a tt, a  true T sound. It’s a flap T, listen.

City

This is the flap T. The flap it is one of the  main differences between American English and  

British English. And I think it’s one of the  defining features of the American English  

accent. It’s all about smoothness. And when  you learn it, your American accent is going  

to sound more natural. It will sound like  you’re speaking with ease and connection.

A true T, tt, is a stop of  air and a release. A flap T,  

par-ty [flap], it’s a flap of  the tongue with no stop of air,  

no release. Just [flap] a bounce on the roof of  your mouth with the tongue. [flap] Par-ty [flap].

Let’s look at some words up close and in slow  motion to further understand this T sound.

Exciting

Water

Gritty

The word ‘water’ is one of  the words that really sounds  

different in American English versus  British English and it’s due in part  

to the flap T. Americans will make that  a flap T 99% of the time and Brits don’t.

Practice that.

[flap] Water

If you’re not sure if you’re making this  sound correctly, practice holding out the  

sound before and the sound after. Waaa—terrr,  water. That can really help you focus in on  

that flap. Make sure it’s quick and easy  in the forward part of the mouth. Water.

When should you make a T a flap T?

The rule is between two vowels or diphthongs like  in the word ‘city’. This applies to linking words  

in a sentence too like in the phrase ‘a lot of’,  a lot of. The T is at the end of the word but it  

links into a word that begins with a vowel ‘of’  so it’s flapped. A lot of. A lot of [flap], a  

lot of. Also, make a T a flap T if the sound  before is an R and the sound after is a vowel  

or diphthong like in the word ‘party’. Par-ty.  Party. Not party. Not a true T but party, a flap.

One exception. If a T starts a stressed syllable,  make it a true T like in the word ‘attain’. The  

T comes between a vowel and a diphthong but it  starts a stress syllable so it’s a true T. Attain,  

tt, with that crispness. Let’s look at some  more words and sentences up close and in slow  

motion with this flap T so you can really  study it and see the flap of the tongue.

Ability

Attic

Batter

Battle

Batty

Better

Bitter

Bottle

Bottom

Butter

Cater

Cattle

Citing

Clarity

Computer

Cottage

Creating

Dated

Dating

Daughter

Debating

Ditto

Dotted

Duty

Fatter

Fitted

Flatter

Flutter

Footing

Fruity

Ghetto

Glitter

Heater

Hitting

Hotter

Inviting

Jetty

Letter

Lighter

Limiting

Litter

Little

Marketing

Matter

Meeting

Meter

Motto

Nettle

Otter

Patty

Peter

Petted

Quality

Quoting

Rattle

Rita

Settle

Shatter

Shutter

Shuttle

Spotter

Stutter

Sweater

Title

Total

Treating

Twitter

Utter

Visiting

Voting

Waiter

Waiting

Witty

Writer

A lot of my students find the flap T to be tricky  when it’s followed by schwa R like in better or  

schwa L like in bottle. For all of my YouTube  channel members, there will be two extra videos  

that you can access that have up close and slow  motion training for lists of these kinds of words.

If you want to join my YouTube channel  membership to support this channel,  

please press the join button. Let’s  look at some more words up close and  

in slow motion so you can really study  this and see that flap of the tongue.

Does it matter?

What if I can’t make it?

I’ll just have water.

It’s better this way.

Ask the waiter for more butter.

I got it.

The reporter prefers lighthearted news stories.

What is it?

I saw it at another store.

It always rains there.

What other words can you think of with the  flap T. Put them in the comments below. It’s  

an incredibly common sound and we use it  to smooth out speech and connect words. If  

you’re interested in training this sound into your  own American accent so that it becomes a habit,  

it becomes effortless. Sign up for my Academy.  The training you will do there and the teacher  

feedback you will get will help you speak  English smoothly and to be really easily  

understood. If you have any questions, drop them  in the comments below. I love being your English  

teacher. Please subscribe with notifications on  so you never miss a video. Keep your learning  

going now with this video. That’s it and  thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.