Pronouncing /d/ versus /t/ (e.g. word Fifty)

[Van Khanh]

Hi,

Some people ,instead of pronouncing /t/, pronounce /d/, as in:

later (adv): Instead of saying /leit../, some say /leid../
Fifty: Instead of saying /fifti/, some say /fifdi/.

Do you think it is positive or negative?

Thanks.
K

[Alan]

Hi,

I don't think negativity or positivity come into it. It is merely a question of enunciation and how much clarity you give to the letter 't'. This is similar to making putting rhyme with pudding.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A day in the life of a driving instructor

[Jamie (K)]

It is a feature of North American English that a /t/ between two vowels is pronounced as an alveolar tap (like a very quick [d]) when the first vowel is stressed and the second one isn't.

As Alan points out, this is not a positive or negative phenomenon, but is just part of the reality of regional variation. This pronunciation is standard in North America, and not in England.