“T” is pronounced as “D” when it is between two vowels.
Let's practice:
exaggerated
participated
metals
united
senators
data
graduated
hospital
creative
greater
Let's practice the following sentences:
“T” is not pronounced when it is between “N” and “E”.
English is so hard
Johnny asked Dotty how her first day in her Duarte ESL class was. It was terrible, she told him. She understood little of what the Level 4 teacher said. He spoke too fast for her. She had struggled through a Level 3 class at a Monrovia school.
When the teacher asked if there were any questions, she told him that she didn't understand most of what he had said. He told her not to worry; she could take the class again if she failed it the first time. She didn't want to fail it the first time, however, or any time.
He gave them homework the first day, of course. They were supposed to write a 300-word essay supporting gun control. Of course, Dotty said, she could write that essay in her native language. But there was no way she could write it in English. She showed Johnny the textbook. The print was so tiny that trying to read just a few pages gave her a headache. On top of that was all the new vocabulary on each page. "I'm going to drop the class," she said. She wanted to cry. When was she ever going to learn this language?
The past tense form “-ED” is pronounced “T” after voiceless sounds ( p,k,f,th,s,sh,h,ts)
“D” after voiced sounds (b,g,v,the,z,dz,m,n,ng,l,r,w) and “ID” after “T” and “D”.
T
talked
dressed
wished
flashed
crushed
walked
tapped
licked
thrashed
laughed
brushed
watched
D
played
ordered
happened
failed
crawled
called
poisoned
borrowed
struggled
logged
zoomed
soared
sewed
tailored
ID
shredded
granted
decided
needed
wanted
started
reported
computed
guarded
warded
flooded
repeated
I've got you covered
Abigail and Jeremy got divorced about 10 years ago. Abigail did not want to see a lawyer, worried that it might turn ugly. So she talked to Jeremy, who agreed that it was a good idea to not use lawyers. He said not to worry, he would take care of her. She said she wasn't looking for a free ride—she could take care of herself. But, Jeremy insisted, he would help her out, then or whenever she needed money. It was the least he could do for her, since she was not taking 50 percent of his income and property.
So, Jeremy gave her $10,000 before they got divorced, because Abigail said that would be all she would need to finish getting her master's degree and start teaching. And that was it. For the next 10 years after getting her degree, Abigail worked as a teacher. She liked her job and the people she worked with. Unfortunately, a tornado wiped out the entire school and half the town. Many teachers got laid off. Abigail spent a month visiting family and friends, but then had to find a new job.
She decided to change careers. To do so, she needed to go back to school for two years. Her tuition and living expenses would cost her $25,000. She called Jeremy. She and Jeremy had remained friendly over the years.
"Jeremy, I need a big favor," she said over the phone.
"Sure, Abi, you name it," Jeremy replied agreeably. Jeremy had a great job and a good life. She told him that she had been laid off, and she needed $25,000 for a degree and a new career. The friendliness left Jeremy's voice. She reminded him of his promise ten years ago to help her out whenever she needed it.
"Yeah, Abi, but that was ten years ago. That's history now, right? Have you tried your local bank?"
Similarly, the plural form “–S” is pronounced “S” after voiceless sounds ( p,t,k,f,th,h,)
, “Z” after voiced sounds (b,g,v,the,dz,m,n,ng,l,r,w) , and “IZ” after “S”,” Z”, “SH”, and “CH.”
S
desks
cats
tops
plants
ants
fans
forks
spoons
hats
cups
maps
myths
Z
sisters
legs
eyes
shoulders
ears
eggs
chairs
pencils
flowers
admirers
tears
crabs
cards
gloves
clothes
IZ
horses
peaches
offices
glasses
vases
coaches
beaches
bushes
witches
wishes
races
pauses
ages
churches
judges
The “h” sound in the pronouns “he, him, his, and her” and the “th” sound in them are not pronounced in fast speech when they are unstressed; however, they are pronounced when they are stressed.