Farm Work Day
In this American English pronunciation video, you’re going to come to a work day at this beautiful farm. We’ll also tudy pronunciation of the letter T, using ‘kinda’, and the reduction of the words ‘because’ and ‘to’.
In this video, we’re going to take a look at some stop T endings. When a word ends in a T that’s not a part of a consonant cluster, that T will often be a stop. For example, the word ‘out’ will often be ‘out’, ‘out’. But when that word is followed by another word that begins with a vowel, it will often be a flap T because now it comes between two vowels when linked together. So, for example, in the phrase ‘out of’. That T will go from being a stop in the word ‘out’ to being a flap in the phrase ‘out of’. These are general guidelines. You will hear people clearly pronounce the full true T at the end of the word ‘out’ sometimes. It all depends on the habit of the speaker, and how clearly the speaker is enunciating.
>> What is the assignment today? What is. Flap T. Listen again.
>> What is the assignment today?
>> What is the assignment today?
>> What is the assignment today?
>> Well, you can pull up some landscape fabric,
>> Okay.
>> Or take this, break this down.
>> Uh-huh. >
> Or carry some wood over to the trees.
>> Okay.
>> Or help take this structure down.
>> Okay. Great.
>> Or snip some herbs.
>> Snip some herbs. That sounds like the most fun out of everything that you just said.
Did you notice how I dropped the T sound in the phrase ‘just said’. Sometimes, we’ll drop the T when it comes between two other consonant sounds. For example, the word ‘exact’. We will say an ending true T there. But when we add -ly, it’s not uncommon to drop the T: exactly, exactly, just said. Listen again.
>> Everything that you just said.
>> Everything that you just said.
>> Everything that you just said.
>> Hi Michelle.
>> Hi Rachel.
>> What project are you working on there?
>> I’m tearing this down. I’m destroying it.
>> You’re doing a good job.
>> Thanks. Kinda fun. You should join in.
>> I should help, instead of videotape, right?
>> It’s ok. We’re doing a pretty good job.
Did you notice how Michelle said ‘kinda’. She reduced the word ‘of’ to just the schwa vowel and attached it to the word ‘kind’. Kinda, kinda. Listen again.
>> Kinda fun. Kinda fun. Kinda fun. You should join in.
For the record, I didn’t only make a video. I did also help.
>> It’s stuck!
>> Michelle, let me help you with that.
>> Hey, thanks Rachel.
>> It’s a good thing I’ve been working out lately.
Working out. Stop T. Working out lately. Listen again.
>> Working out lately. Working out lately. Working out lately.
>> Edgar is documenting me documenting.
>> Documenting you documenting me.
>> It’s a meta-documentary going on there.
>> Notice how HaQuyen leaves off the T in ‘documentary’.
>> Do you know why you’re doing that?
>> Why am I doing it? Am I reducing it?
>> Well, it’s, T is a weird letter, and sometimes after N we do drop it. Like, in words like ‘center’, we’ll say ‘cenner’. Interview …
>> ‘Innerview’.
>> ‘Innerview’. Documentary.
>> ‘Documennary’.
>> Exactly.
>> Rachel, why’d you take off your hat and jacket?
>> Because I got hot.
Did you notice how I reduced the word ‘because’ to ‘cuz’, ‘cuz’. Because I got hot. Listen again.
>> Because I got hot. because I got hot. Because I got hot.
Also, did you notice that stop T: hot, hot.
>> Because I got hot. Because I got hot. Because I got hot. Do you remember that awesome video I made on ‘hot’ back in the summer?
>> Uh, no, I don’t.
>> You actually don’t need to respond. I’m going to put a link to it then.
>> How can I help, Rachel?
>> Well, we’re about to need to take all the plants that have grown on this out.
Did you notice how I said ‘about to’. And I reduced the word ‘to’ to the true T and the schwa sound. The reason why I didn’t make it a flap T is because the word before ended in a T. So in this case, when we reduce the word ‘to’, we need to keep the true T. About to. About to. Listen again.
>> We’re about to need to take
>> We’re about to need to take
>> We’re about to need to take all of the plants that have grown on this out.
>> Edgar, how much time did we save you by coming to the work day?
>> You saved at least a month.
>> Oh, wow! That’s great.Great. There I released the T, making the ending T a true T sound. Listen again.
>> That’s great. That’s great. That’s great. What are you going to do with that extra month?
>> Think I’ll work some more! >> Get other stuff done.
>> Get other stuff done.
>> Thanks for having us out.
Out. There I made the ending T a stop T. Listen again.
>> Thanks for having us out.
>> Thanks for having us out.
>> Thanks for having us out.
>> Thank you for coming. You guys were great.
>> Our pleasure.
>> Ready? Okay.
>> That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English!
>> He was quiet for the whole take, I can hardly believe it. Thank you.