English spellings/Catalogs/T

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Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with T. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

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T = têa drink = têe golf (also as in T-shïrt, *Têeshirt)

tâble rhymes with lâbel

tábleau *táblô, plural tábleaux *táblôze rhymes with blôws

táblet

tâbletop one word

tábloid

taekwondô *tîe-quón-dôe

Tahrìr

tâilor clothes = Tâylor

Taiwàn, Taiẁan Tî- (cf. Thaìland, also Tî-)

tâkeover noun

tâle story = tâil animal

Tálibán, Tálibàn (Táleban is an increasingly rare alternative)

tålk -åk; more examples in retroalphabetical list

Tállíín -íí- as í

tálon

tambourìne

Támil Nádu or Nàdu

tangerìne -j-

tántamòunt

Tánya, or BrE Tànya = AmE Tónya

Tanzanìa, cf. Albânia

taoìseach *têeshək

tãre grass = téar rip

tàrgeted or tàrgetted: since the first e is unstressed, tàrgeted could be said to be the more regular option

táriff *tárrif

Táriq, cf. Ẁarwick, two phonemes different: *Wóriq

tárôt cards = táro plant, rhymes with árrôw

tāsk cf. túsk

ta-tà is probably the most common spelling

Tátar

Tâte = Tâit

Tâtum

tattoô

Tåurus = tŏrus

tåut firm = tåught teach, cf. tòut

Tây person, river

Tâylor = tâilor

Tbilìsi *Təblêezy, *Tblìssi

Tchaikóvsky has a redundant T: *Chŷ-kóffsky

têa drink = têe golf = tì do-re-mi

têam game = têem pour

téar paper = tãre grass

têar cry

têargás

têase provoke = têas tea

téch *téc, as also in téchnical, technólogy, technìque

têenager one word

teetôtaller BrE; AmE teetôtaler

Tehràn *Té-ràn or *Tè-ràn: the Persian pronunciation, pronouncing the h after a closed [e] sound, is reflected in the spelling, but since the sequence -ehr- does not come naturally in English (giving rise to an alternative, though nowadays hardly used, spelling, "Teheran") there has developed a tendency to lengthen the first vowel to the sound in èh?, making the syllable sound like Tây

Teígnmouth *Tínməth

Tél Avìv *Tellavêev

télephône

teléphony

télevísion -ízhn

télly

ténant landlord = Ténnant person

téndency

Tenerìfe

Tennessêe

ténor sound = ténner money

ténsion *ténshən makes minimal pairs with atténtion and inténtion

tequìla -kêela

Terêsa = Therêsa; also Terèsa

tërn bird = türn round

Terpsíchore rhymes with híckory

Terpsichŏrean Tërpsik-

terrâin rock = terrâne crust

térrible

terrífic

térrifŷing

térrorism

testósterone

téther rhymes with wéather, minimal pair

th- initially in some cases is a simple t sound, as in Thaî below, but it usually represents the labiodental fricative, in the majority of words unvoiced [θ], but in a closed class of mostly common words voiced [ð], here respelt as dh-: thís *thíss, thôugh *dhô

Thaî nationality = tîe knot, score

Thaîland *Tŷlənd (the strong form *Tŷlánd is often used by broadcasters), cf. Taiwàn, also Tŷ-

thalídomide

Thâme Oxfordshire = tâme wild

Thames *Témz

than dh-; a as schwa: only thán at dictation speed

thánkyoû noun and adjective: a thánkyou nôte; compare: wê thánk yoû for the...

thát dh-; as a demonstrative it has the á sound, but when a conjunction or relative pronoun it normally has schwa, *dhət: Î dôn’t thínk that thát was the sâme ván as the òne that was hêre befŏre

thåw freeze = BrE Thŏr god

the: traditionally, the weak form, *dhə, with the schwa sound, is heard before a consonant following in the next word, while the strong form, thê, is used before a following vowel; nowadays one also hears the schwa form before a vowel. In dates, the and of are normally omitted in writing: 10 Âpril *the ténth of Âpril; Jánuary 20 *Jánuary twéntieth in AmE, *Jánuary the twéntieth in BrE. Not normally capitalized in running prose: a shóp ín the Stránd; a fán of the Bêatles; the Dutch capital The Hâgue is an exception

thêatre BrE, AmE thêater, a as schwa: *thêətr (some BrE *thê-étter)

The Hâgue Netherlands, capital T preserved in running prose: whén wê vísited The Hâgue

théir them = thére here = théy’re they are: *dhãir

thén time, cf. than comparison; both dh-

Thêodore

thêorem

thêory

thérefore dh-

Therêsa *Terêzə, cf. Terèsa in/from other languages

thêse this *dhêez

thêsês plural *thêesseez

thêsís singular *thêessiss

thèy *dhây

thìêf

thìêves

thínk

thís dh-

Thómas Tó-

Thóm = Tóm

Thómpson, Thómson Tó-

thŏrn rose, letter þ

thòrough exacting BrE *thúrra, AmE *thürrôw, cf. throûgh

thòu you *dhòu

thôugh although *dhô

thŏught think *thåwt

thŏught-provôking hyphenated

thr- always unvoiced th before r

thréad

thréat

thréepence or *thrùpence or *thrúppence

thréshold

threŵ throw

thrîve regular verb, cf. strîve

thrôes anguish = thrôws throw

thrône queen = thrôwn throw

throûgh (informally thrû) preposition = threw throw; cf. thòrough

throughòut all over one word = threŵ òut throw out

thrôw toss

thrôwn throw = thrône king

thúmb -m

thúmp

thúnderous cf. wòndrous

thús dh-

thwårt

thŷme herb = tîme clock

tíc movement = tíck sound, mark

tîde sea = tîed tie

tîe knot, level = Thaî nation, cf. tŷing

tìêr rank = têar cry, cf. téar rip

tîer tie

tíff

tîger cf. Nigér *Nizhãir

tîghten tight = tîtan giant = Tîtan Saturn

Tîgris

Tijuàna *Tiuwàna

Tikrìt

tíll until, field

Timbuktû, formerly Timbuctoo

tîme hours = thyme herb

tîmetable one word; cf. tîmes tâbles

Tìmor

tínnitus

tínpot adjective one word

Tintágel -j-

Tipperãry

Tiràna Albania cf. Tehràn Iran

tîre tired, AmE car = tŷre BrE car = Tŷre Lebanon

Tirêe *Tî-rêe

tîtan giant = tîghten tight = Tîtan Saturn

títillate *títtilate

títivate, títtivate

tîtle

títtle-tattle

tmêsis

to preposition *tə; when stressed, especially before a vowel = toô also, much = tŵo 2

tôad animal = tôwed tow

to and frô *toô and frô

tôaster toast = Tôcester England

tobácco

to-do fight = to do do *tədû

tôe foot = tôw pull

tóff posh cf. toúgh hard = túff rock

tóffee *tóffy

tôga'ed *tôgəd

toing and frôíng *tûíng and frôeíng, cf. tôeíng

Tôkelàù

tôld tell = tôlled toll, cf. åll tôld

Tolêdo

tólerance

Tólkiên

tôll

tómahawk cf. Tómmy

tomb *toôm

Tómmy cf. Tôny

tòn sport, avoirdupois = tònne metric = tún cask

Tónga - g sound optional

tòngue mouth *túng, cf. tóngs

"tonîte" for tonîght is strictly commercial and unsuitable in other contexts

tónsil

tonsillîtis

Tôny cf. Tómmy

toô much = to at = tŵo number

toôn cartoon, cf. tûne melody *tyoôn

Toowoòmba

tópple

tópsy-türvy

tôque *tôke

tŏrment noun = tormént verb

tornâdôs cf. potâtôes

tŏrque twist BrE = tålk speak

tŏrtoise BrE = tåught us (though some British speakers say "tŏrtoiz")

tŏrtûous twisting, complicated; a confused association with tŏrture is what may have given rise to the similar-sounding tŏrturous

tŏrus = Tåurus

Tŏry Conservative = Tåuri Taurus

tôtal cf. Totàl/Totál

Tótnes -íss or *Totnéss

Tóttenham *Tótnəm

toúch cf. pòuch

toúgh hard = túff rock cf. tóff posh

Touloûse France -oôz, ≈ to lose lost

toupèe (toupée)

toûr journey (or = tŏr rock)

toûr de fŏrce

Toûr de Frànce

Tourétte's sýndrome

tourniquet BrE *toûrnikây, AmE *türnikit

tòusle -zle

tòut, cf. tåut

tóxin tóxic = tócsin alarm

tôw rope = tôe digit

tòwel

tòwer building

tôwer tow

tr- for some speakers sounds like tshr- (tchr-, chr-)

Trabánt

trâdemark one word

tráffic rhymes with gráphic

trâil cf. trîal

trâiler cf. tâilor

trâipse

trâit character = trây flat

trajéctory

tranquíllity BrE; AmE -íli-

transáction -nzá-

transpárent cf. pãrent

transséxual -ss-

trapêze

trapêzium

tråuma

traumátic -åu-

trávesty

Trávis

trây carry = trèy 3

tréacherous, tréachery

tréad foot cf. trâde money

trêat

trêatíse study = trêatíes treaty

trék, cf. tráck

trémolo, cf. the Trémeloes

tréspass -əss *trésspass

*tréts Tourétte's

Trévor

trîád

trîage, -ij, or *trìàzh

trîal cf. trâil

tríbade

tríbûne

tribûnal -î-

trícolour BrE = AmE trícolor

triénnial -î-

trígger-háppy

tríp journey, stumble

tríple, cf. trîfle

Trípoli

tríptých -ík makes a minimal pair with crýptic

Trîton Neptune forms a minimal pair with Tîtan Saturn

trîumph

tróglodyte

trôjan astronomy, uncapitalised when generic: a trôjan moôn; Trôjan Troy

trôll

trombône

troôp army = troûpe stage

trôphy

trót = Trótt

troúble rhymes with búbble, doúble

troúbleshoôt one word

tróugh -óff

Tròughton *Tròuton

tròunce

tròut

trûe

trûly *trûely

truncâted

trúnk

trûth unvoiced -th

trûths -dhz

trŷ

trýpsin, cf. tríptych

trýst

tsàr or czàr *zàr

tsétsê, tsêtsê ts-, s- or t-

T-shïrt *têe-shïrt (capital T to represent the shape of the shirt)

tsunàmi *sunàmi

Tsvángeraî, Tsvángiraî Cháng-

tubërculôsis

Tûcsón *Tûsón

tùktùk

Túnbridge Wélls has a ú, but nearby Tònbridge, with the same sound, has an ò

tûne BrE *cheŵn, AmE *toôn

Tûnis BrE *Chûnís, *Tyoônís, AmE *Toônis

Tunísia BrE *Chû-níziə, *Toô-níziə, rhyming with vízier; AmE Tunìsia *Toô-nêezhə, rhyming with Indonêsia

túnnel

Tùpelo

túppence = twòpence

türbîne

türn round = tërn bird

túppence = twòpence

Türk Turkey = türk young

Türkêy country = türkêy bird

türmoil

türnout noun one word

Tussåuds = two swŏrds

tússle

Tutankhàmun

Tùtsi Rwanda = Toòtsie

Tùvalu or Tuvàlu

TV television *têe-vêe, capitalised

tẁaddle

twêak

twêe

twêet, cf. twít (minimal pair)

twêeter, cf. twítter (minimal pair)

twêezers cf. têaser *têezer

twénty; "Twenty20" is the conventional way of writing "20-20" (i.e. 20 overs per side) cricket

twërp

twít, cf. twêet (minimal pair)

twítter, cf. twêeter (minimal pair)

tŵo 2 *tû = to at = toô also, much

twopence = túppence

tŷing, from tîe

Tŷler makes a minimal pair with Tâylor

tyránnical

týranny

tŷrant

tŷre car AmE tîre car, tired = Tŷre Lebanon

Týrell

tŷro or tîro