Why are hosts and guests dropping the t's in COTTON and BUTTON?

Annie57 · ‎03-24-2010

Okay, I admit it: I am a teacher so this may bother me more than it does others, but has anyone else noticed how often the hosts and guests, especially the young ones, are pronouncing words like "cotton" and "button" as "cah-un" and "buh-un," completely dropping the T sound? I am noticing it in my students, too. What is going on????

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

I notice several of the hosts and Susan Graver drop the "g" in length, making it lenth. I assume it's regional, although my Philly area relatives don't do that.

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Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

It's called a "glottal stop"........common in many foreign languages. Have no idea why it's been "adopted" here.............

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Pook · ‎03-20-2010

Here we go again!!! If I ever heard anyone prouncing the t in theses words as a hard t - well it would sound funny! I find it's just the way the t has aways been pronounced just about everywhere and if you say it over and over you just might find that in any real coversation that is the way you even pronounce it. The only person I only ever heard pronouncing the double t's was my Italian born grandmother.

mcducky · ‎06-13-2012

I’ve noticed it as well. I don’t know if it is generational, regional or something else. It is not in my speech pattern. When I hear cah-un and such i don’t like it. Why? I have no idea. I know in my speaking I watch how I say words....like goin’ instead of the proper going. I attribute it to my Mom. She was southern and it was common in her family. I try to balance colloquial speech with proper speech.

Imaoldhippie · ‎06-10-2015

Good grief! Most likely regional accents.

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janeec · ‎02-17-2013

They should learn how to enunciate. This is empahsized in choral singing and public speaking. While dropping consonant sounds may be regional, a professional would not do that. Some may want to seem "folksy" and speak that way but I find it annoying on national television. If people spent half as much time on proper speech as they do on physical appearance, this would not be a problem.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@Pook wrote:
Here we go again!!! If I ever heard anyone prouncing the t in theses words as a hard t - well it would sound funny! I find it's just the way the t has aways been pronounced just about everywhere and if you say it over and over you just might find that in any real coversation that is the way you even pronounce it. The only person I only ever heard pronouncing the double t's was my Italian born grandmother.

@Pook Many others, besides me, pronounce it properly. Isaac says his tees are Pima c-o-t-t-e-n. It may regional. I still have 1/2 my NY accent since I moved to NC as a child w/ all (aunts, uncles, cousins) relatives from NY. No public kindergarten then. I was only around them until 1st grade.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

There are different accents and pronunciations all over the US. These regional differences are perfectly normal. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@mcducky wrote:
I’ve noticed it as well. I don’t know if it is generational, regional or something else. It is not in my speech pattern. When I hear cah-un and such i don’t like it. Why? I have no idea. I know in my speaking I watch how I say words....like goin’ instead of the proper going. I attribute it to my Mom. She was southern and it was common in her family. I try to balance colloquial speech with proper speech.

@mcducky When my kids started school, I also noticed NC accents w/ mispronounced words...oil was “all”, five was “fov”, nine was “non”, etc. DH & I corrected them. I cannot detect any accent now that they’re grown.