Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: glottal stop

Is the glottal stop present in all the English dialect?
For instance, how do you say "button"?
Kiuhnm

 For instance, how do you say "button"?
Well, myself I say it with a strong Italian accent... However, in
London they'd often pronounce it [bʌʔn], where [ʔ] (in place of
standard [t]) is a glottal stop.
"Don't drop your T's!" is one of the favourite reproaches of Londoner
parents and teachers.
--
Cingar

 parents and teachers.
I don't understand. Why should I learn a habit that native speakers try 
to lose? (I'm studying American English, though).

Kiuhnm ha scritto:

Because it's a lot of fun? That's why I do it, anyway.
(Still you might have to learn it just to be able to understand when 
someone else is using it, not necessarily to reproduce it. I mean, if 
you don't have fun doing these things like I do).
--
Laz

 you don't have fun doing these things like I do).
According to one of the many audio courses on American pronunciation, 
the glottal stop is widespread among American native speakers even if 
they aren't aware of it. For instance, all these words end with a 
glottal stop:
light, flight, put, take, make, trip, report.
(I imagine a drummer who mutes the cymbals instead of letting them ring)
The following words have the g.s. also in the middle:
stoplight, apartment, backseat, assortment, workload, upbeat.
We have the g.s. even in phrases:
right now, talk back, cook the books, hate mail, fax machine.
What I'm saying is that "cott!n", "kitt!n", etc... are just the most 
noticeable cases, not the *only* cases. There will be people who say 
"cotton" without g.s., but I don't think you'll find anyone who doesn't 
do it in "backseat". But I ain't no native speaker, bro :-)
Kiuhnm

 glottal stop:
It's true... I think that they may not be aware because it's easier 
(obvious) to spot in words like "better" (between two vowels).
Laz

 wrote in message 
news:63fof2F...@mid.individual.net...

And there's obviously a big difference in acceptability (UK) . It's quite 
natural in speech to substitute a gs(!) for a 't' before an 'm' or 'n' or 
'd' - 'assor!ment' , 'righ! now' , 'backsea! driver' , though in other 
circumstances most people would sound the 't' at the end of 'right' , etc. 
('You're right','right away').
The 'obvious' cases are rather different - I would never say 'be!er' , and 
nor , I think , would most people I know . The gs in such words is , of 
course , characteristic of popular London speech , but to many people 
elsewhere it's rather irritating .
Overall , the gs is probably becoming more common - as it did in Tony 
Blair's speech when in populist mode .
Mike 

 elsewhere it's rather irritating .
Why irritating? I find it nice.
-- 
Laz

 light, flight, put, take, make, trip, report.
what's the deal with "take" and "make"?
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
-- 
Si contra fa est diabolus in musica.

 Why irritating? I find it nice.
AFAIK, not all that many people are fond of the cockney accent.


 AFAIK, not all that many people are fond of the cockney accent.
Well, it's their problem, not the accent's. Even in Italian there are 
people who don't like some other accents... and again, it's their problem.
Laz

 what's the deal with "take" and "make"?
How do you say, for instance, "Make this work!"?
Kiuhnm

 Beh, c'è anche in tedesco.
Anche in italiano in effetti ("a!andrea"... l'ho letto di recente, non 
ricordo dove, e in effetti è vero).
Laz

 people who don't like some other accents... and again, it's their problem.
In linea di principio hai ragione, ma di fatto ci sono alcuni accenti
generalmente più graditi e altri meno.