English spellings/Catalogs/T
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| 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]
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