Back to Matrix [tʰ] → [t] Edit this Data

[t]→[tʰ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5

Voiceless alveolar plosive to Voiceless aspirated alveolar plosive

In English and other Germanic languages, the voiceless alveolar stop /t/ is aspirated [tʰ] in syllable-initial position and unaspirated [t] after /s/ or in unstressed syllables. This is allophony: the two variants are in complementary distribution and never contrast. Native English speakers hear 'tip' [tʰɪp] and 'stick' [stɪk] as containing the same consonant, because the aspiration is phonologically predictable and carries no meaning difference. Note: in many South and East Asian languages (Hindi, Thai, Mandarin), /t/ and /tʰ/ are distinct phonemes forming minimal pairs — a fundamentally different situation from the English allophonic pattern.

Phonetic Effects

Aspiration, Allophony

Language Examples

English Germanic

/t/ syllable-initial→[tʰ]— 'tip' [tʰɪp] vs. 'stick' [stɪk]: word-initial /t/ is aspirated; post-/s/ /t/ is unaspirated. Both are allophones of the single phoneme /t/.

German Germanic

/t/ syllable-initial→[tʰ]— Standard German aspirates /t/ syllable-initially: 'Tag' [tʰaːk] 'day'. Unaspirated in clusters.

Thai Tai-Kadai

/t/ (unaspirated ดา daa)→distinct from /tʰ/ (aspirated ทา thaa)— Included for contrast: in Thai, [t] and [tʰ] form a phonemic minimal pair — the opposite of the English allophonic pattern.

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Germanic Shifts

[a] → [ã] — Assimilatory Nasalization [a] → [∅] — Elision [a] → [ʔ] — Glottalization [a] → [ə] — Vowel Reduction [æ] → [ɛ] — Vowel Raising

Sources & References

Spotted a mistake or have a better example?

EchoDrift is community-driven. You can suggest a change directly through GitHub.

Propose an Edit on GitHub