- T-glottalization
T-glottalization is a process that occurs for many English speakers, that causes the phoneme IPA|/t/ to be pronounced as the
glottal stop IPA| [ʔ] in certain positions.In RP, IPA|/t/ can be pronounced as a glottal stop when occurring before a consonant leading to pronunciations like:
* not now - IPA| [nɒʔ naʊ]
* department - IPA| [dəpɑ:ʔmɪnt]
* lighthouse - IPA| [laɪʔhaʊs]Among younger RP-speakers t-glottalization can also be heard finally before vowels or in absolute final position:
* pick it up - IPA| [pɪk ɪʔ ʌp]
* Let's start IPA| [lɛts stɑ:ʔ] or IPA| [lɛs stɑ:ʔ] or IPA| [lɛʔs stɑ:ʔ]
* what - IPA| [wɔʔ]
* but - IPA| [bʌʔ]
* get - IPA| [gɛʔ]
* foot - IPA| [fʊʔ]In many dialects of
English English , all intervocalic "t"'s are realized as IPA| [ʔ] . InCockney this is generally the case. Such glottalization leads to pronunciations like the following:* batter - IPA| [bæʔə]
* better - IPA| [bɛʔə]
* beater - IPA| [biʔə]
* biter - IPA| [baɪʔə]
* bitter - IPA| [bɪʔə]
* boater - IPA| [bəʊʔə]
* butter - IPA| [bʌʔə]
* betting - IPA| [bɛʔɪn]
* Betty - IPA| [bɛʔi]
* pity - IPA| [pɪʔi]T-glottalization has been known to have been spreading in Southern
England at a faster rate thanth-fronting . Intervocalically within a word, t-glottalization remains excluded from RP, hence, RP has IPA| [sɪti] rather than the IPA| [sɪʔi] ofCockney . Nevertheless, the increased use of glottal stops within RP is believed to be an influence from Cockney and other working-class urban speech. It also tends to be somewhat common in the United States though heavier in the western state of Colorado.Recent studies (Milroy, Milroy &Walshaw 1994, Fabricius 2000) have suggested that t-glottalization is increasing in RP speech.
Prince Harry frequently glottals his Ts [http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/blog0802b.htm Also see "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language", page 365] ; the Royal Family are traditionally considered to speak RP in his highest form. One study carried out by Anne Fabricus suggests that t-glottalization is increasing in RP, and the reason for this being the dialect levelling of the Southeast. She has argued that a wave-like profile of t-glottalization has been going on through the regions which has begun with speakers in London, due to the influence ofCockney . She says that this development is due to the population size of the capital, as well as London's dominance of the Southeast of England. (2000: 141)References
ee also
*
Glottalization
*Regional accents of English speakers
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