The Glottal Stop in American English Pronunciation
🎬 Can You Pronounce These Words Like an American?
🎥 Watch the video below to see how many U.S. native speakers pronounce words like: Mountain, Button, and Kitten
If you said moun’n, bu’n, or ki’n — congratulations! You just made a glottal stop, one of the most common features of American English pronunciation.
🗣 What Is a Glottal Stop?
A glottal stop is a sound made when you briefly close your vocal cords (your “glottis”) to stop the airflow.
It’s the same little pause you hear in the middle of uh-oh! — that quick catch in your throat.
In American English, the glottal stop often replaces the /t/ sound before an N, especially when the second syllable is unstressed.
Instead of releasing the /t/ with your tongue, you stop the sound in your throat, giving that soft ’n sound.
That’s why:
mountain → moun’n
button → bu’n
kitten → ki’n
It’s a way to pronounce these words more quickly for faster and natural speech.
🧩 Glottal Stop Words in American English
Below you can find a full list of common American English words that include a glottal stop.
🎧 Listen to the audio and repeat after me to practice these words aloud:
💬 Practice Tip
When you say these words, don’t release the /t/ — instead, close your throat for a brief moment.
Try these examples:
“The kitten climbed the mountain.” → The ki’n climbed the moun’n.
“Please press the button.” → Please press the bu’n.
To sound more natural, focus on smooth, connected speech instead of hitting every consonant sharply.
✉️ Join My Newsletter For Weekly English Fluency Tips
🏁 Final Steps
You don’t have to pronounce every word exactly like this, but understanding the glottal stop will help you catch what native speakers are really saying.
And if your goal is to sound more American, this is one of the key pronunciation features to practice.
Try shadowing my pronunciation in the video and audio, repeating each word several times to help you master it. The more you practice, the more natural, confident, and fluent your speech will become.
If you’d like to continue improving your American English pronunciation, slang, and culture, I’d be happy to support you! You can book a FREE consultation with me today to learn more about joining my Conversation Club or 1-on-1 Coaching Plans.
Book the FREE Consultation Here👉 peachteachenglish.com/free-consultation
Want to Learn More About American English Pronunciation?
Check out my video on how to understand fast native speakers!
You’ll learn practical tips to improve your listening comprehension and discover how Americans use connected speech — so you can understand them better and make your own pronunciation sound more natural too.
