Brits: How do I pronounce words like "letter"/"better"

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So, I've gotten to the point where I've fooled one native speaker. I even know the difference between "Ice" and "Eyes". (You can applaud here if you want.) But I still can't figure out how to pronounce that bloody t! Should I pronounce it like a glottal stop, like a distinct t (Like that bonehead Tony Blair does, yuck), or is there some secret English phoneme I've yet to learn about?

Suppose I wanted so sound like a native speaker, but I don't need to sound like I'm from anywhere in particular.

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Yeah, I believe that you've touched the point where you have ever fooled one native speaker. And now, if Brits told you that secret English phoneme, you might fool a lot of native speakers in future, right? That'd be great and you'd be so cool -- you could lure native speakers (Brits) to arm you with perfect gun, and then you could turn the gun to shoot them down.
How cool! Razz

But you've forgotten that such a coup is ONCE AND AWAY, have you? Doing it again will not work, I'm afraid. Cool

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Rounin, Welcome to a2k. Sorry I can't help with your British T sound. I'm from Noo Yawk. Be patient. Maybe a Brit or two will happen along.

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Thanks!

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congrats! i wish i was at that point already lol Right now I'm at the point where my spanish accent isn't so strong so people get confused and don't know where im from, which is good because spanish accents are horrible!

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Andrea, Sez who? Nothing wrong with a Spanish accent.

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I just don't like it. I hated being taught English by people with a strong accent.

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isn't it...
let-uh and bet-uh?

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'fraid Tony Blair is right and you should sound the T.

And if you want to speak English English and not American English - you don't use gotten - sorry! :wink:

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You should pronounce the t

bettah you say lettah than berrer or lerrer

some people pronounce words such as bottle as boh-ul or even bokkul, and should be taken outside and shot imo.

Accents don't matter, they say English is best spoken in places like Edinburgh and Inverness. But sloppy pronunciation is bad...it sounds either childish or silly

eg Scoklan for Scot land
Scorrish for Scottish

Why do you want to speak English English anyway? If you want to disguise your American-ness wouldn't it be easier to perfect a Canadian accent!?

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Steve, I don't think Rounin is a native English speaker.

BTW, in NYC, better and letter are pronounded bedduh and ledduh.

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Roberta, I'm afraid there is no way you can figure out where he is from. Razz

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My Americanness is about as substantial as your castles in France.

Anyways, everyone, thanks for your good advice. Even if I end up sounding like Rimmer, I'll try and pronounce the t.

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Quote:

My Americanness is about as substantial as your castles in France.

Interesting Rouen,

in fact quite intriguing. How did you know I have more than one castle? In France.

So come on "spill the beans"* where are you from originally? Your English is very good btw, perhaps you should be helping me? Very Happy

*English expression = tell all

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Re: Brits: How do I pronounce words like "letter"/

Rounin wrote:

So, I've gotten to the point where I've fooled one native speaker. I even know the difference between "Ice" and "Eyes".

This statement strongly suggests that you're not a native speaker of English. Maybe a country with a germanic language?

As for castles in France, the expression in English is "castles in Spain," but a castle is a castle.

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All castles are different Roberta. Architecture, size, modus operadi, age. Tell me how a Norman Castle built around 1100 ad in England is the same as a Spanish Castle built 500 years later. It's a bit more than bricks & morter you know.

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Rounin wrote:

My Americanness is about as substantial as your castles in France.

Anyways, everyone, thanks for your good advice. Even if I end up sounding like Rimmer, I'll try and pronounce the t.

Don't knock Rimmer - a true Brit! Razz

(not sure about Dave, though....)

But do pronounce the T!

And, from Oz, a castle is a castle! We doan got nun!

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Hehe. Thanks guys Smile

I'm from Norway, by the way. Norwegian's absolutely Germanic, in fact I believe it originally had more in common with English than with the nearly identical Swedish. Modern Norwegian's just modified Danish, though.

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Rounin, Thanks for clearing up the mystery of your origins. I was in Norway many years ago. A magnificently beautiful country.

As for the castles in Spain, I think I may have gotten my metaphoric expressions mixed up. Was I thinking of castles in the air? Don't know what I was thinking. Sorry if I offended castle mavens.

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Rounin wrote:

Hehe. Thanks guys I'm from Norway, by the way. Norwegian's absolutely Germanic, in fact I believe it originally had more in common with English than with the nearly identical Swedish. Modern Norwegian's just modified Danish, though.

Not really :wink:

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Brits: How do I pronounce words like "letter"/"better"

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