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How do Americans pronounce "it would", "it was", etc.?

English Language & Usage Asked on April 7, 2021

How do you pronounce "it would", "it was", etc. in American English? That is, how do you pronounce the T when it precedes a semi-vowel such as "w"? Is there a stop T or not when the words are pronounced fast?

I know, when followed by a vowel, it’s a flap T (as in "it is"), and, when followed by a consonant, it’s a full T (as in "it looks"). Yet, I can’t put my finger on this.

One Answer

In many dialects, /t/ before a consonant (including w) is pronounced [ʔt] or even [ʔ], that is, glottalized or preglottalized.

(Edit to clarify: that is, /t/ before a consonant, except for initial /t/ which is not glottalized.)

Correct answer by Mark Beadles on April 7, 2021

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