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In this American English pronunciation video, we're going to go over the pronunciation of
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the word 'mountain', 'sentence', and other similar words.
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I've had a few requests for words where we have the t, schwa, and n sound. For example,
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the word 'mountain', or the word 'curtain'. First, let's take a look at the word 'mountain'.
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So here, the t is coming after an n, and before a schwa. Normally, when the t is in a consonant
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cluster, like 'mount', we would say a true t. But often, when it follows the n, we actually
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live it out altogether, like in the word 'center'. 'Center'. I say no t there.
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But this is an exception. When we have the t sound, the schwa sound, and the n sound,
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most native speakers will make that t a Stop t. So rather than 'mountain', with a True t,
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we get mountain, mount-n. Do you hear the stop?
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So, to make this word, my tongue is coming to the roof of the mouth for the n,
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mount-n. Then I just leave it there. I stop the flow of air with my throat,
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to make the Stop t, mount-n, then I release and let it go again into the
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schwa-n sound.
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Mountain. [3x]
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Let's take a look at the word 'curtain'. Now here the t comes after an r and before a vowel sound, the schwa.
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So normally, that would be a Flap t, like in the word 'party'.
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But again, because we have a t-schwa-n sound, it's an exception. So, it's a Stop t. Curt-n.
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Cur-tain. So, to make this word, my tongue is going from the r, pulled back, cur-,
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to a position where the front part of the tongue is touching the roof of the mouth. Then again,
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I cut off the airflow here to signify the Stop t. Cur-tain. Then I don't need to move my tongue,
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it's already in position for the schwa-n sound. 'Curtain'.
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The word 'sentence' doesn't end with a t-schwa-n sound, but it's the same rule.
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Because we have those three sounds together, many people will say sen-tence, making a Stop t there.
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So again, my tongue is already in the right position because it came up for the first n
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Sen-tence. So, I just cut off the airflow, and then jump right back into the schwa-n sound.
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One final example, the word 'cotton'. So here, the t is coming between two vowel sounds.
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Normally, that would be a Flap, like in the word 'cutting'. There, it's a Flap t where
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the tongue just bounces agains the roof of the mouth and there's no stop of sound.
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But in the word 'cotton', it's the t-schwa-n, so we're going to make that a stop instead.
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Cotton. So, my tongue is going up into position for the t, it's the same as the position for the n.
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I never move the tongue once it's there. I just cut off the airflow, n,
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and then make the n sound.
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Other example words with the Stop t-schwa-n sound: fountain, kitten, button, written,
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Clinton, Manhattan. So don't forget: move your tongue into position for the n, stop the sound,
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and then make the n sound. That's how you should pronounce t-schwa-n.
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That's it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.