the letter t

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The twentieth letter of the English alphabet, written t.

   Grammar: Use 'the letter t' or just 't' when talking about the written symbol; the plural is 't's' or 'Ts'.

   Patterns

   • the letter t
   • a capital T
   • words ending in t

   My first name begins with the letter t.

   There are two t's in 'butter'.

   Please write your answer in capital letters, starting with a capital T.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountable

   The sound represented by this letter, the /t/ sound in words like 'top' or 'hat'.

   Grammar: Often used without 'the' when talking about the sound itself, e.g. 'He drops his t's.'

   Patterns

   • pronounce the t
   • a silent t
   • drop your t's

   In some British accents, speakers drop the t in words like 'water'.

   The t at the end of 'often' is silent for many speakers.

   American English often turns the t in 'city' into a soft d sound.

3. 3abbreviation

   A short written form of 'ton', 'tonne', 'temperature', or 'time', depending on context.

   Grammar: Usually written with a capital T in measurements, e.g. '5 t' for five tonnes.

   Patterns

   • t (tonne)
   • T (temperature)
   • T-shirt

   The lorry can carry up to 20 t.

   The T in the table stands for temperature.

   He wore a plain white T-shirt.

Word forms

Common combinations

the letter t

The letter t comes after s in the alphabet.

a capital T

Start the sentence with a capital T.

words ending in t

We practiced words ending in t, like 'cat' and 'sit'.

pronounce the t

Some learners forget to pronounce the t at the end of a word.

drop your t's

In casual London speech, people often drop their t's.

Commonly confused: the letter t or tea?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “the letter t”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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