
In any language, there are areas of overlap, where one category has a great deal in common with a different category. In this case, intonation and pronunciation have two areas of overlap. First is the pronunciation of the letter T. When a T is at the beginning of a word (such as table, ten, take), it is a clear sharp sound. It is also clear in combination with certain other letters, (contract, contain, etc.) When T is in the middle of a word (or in an unstressed position), it turns into a softer D sound. (This is covered in more detail in pronunciation.)
Betty bought a bit of better butter.
Sounds like:
Beddy bada bida bedder budder.
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It is this intonation/pronunciation shift that accounts for the difference between photography (phoTAgraphy) and photograph (PHOdagraph).
Check Your Understanding
Does the pronunciation of the following words have a strong "T" sound or a softer "D" sound?1. Tommy
Tommy
Dommy
2. Italian
ITalian
IDalian
3. Italy
ITaly
IDaly
4. water
waTer
waDer
5. container
conTainer
conDainer