Question

What is the main difference in pronunciation between the English “t” and the Spanish “t”?

Answer 1

Short answer: English “t” is usually aspirated [tʰ] and made at the alveolar ridge; Spanish “t” is unaspirated and dental [t̪] (tongue against the upper teeth).

Details and tips:
- Aspiration: In English, word‑initial and stressed‑syllable /t/ comes with a puff of air (try saying "tea" and feel the puff on your hand). In Spanish /t/ there is little or no puff of air — it sounds "softer" to an English ear.
- Place of articulation: English /t/ is typically alveolar (tongue against the ridge just behind the teeth). Spanish /t/ is dental: the tongue touches the upper front teeth.
- Contexts: English /t/ can also be a flap [ɾ] between vowels (American English "water"/"city"), or unreleased/glottalized at the end of words; Spanish /t/ stays a clear dental stop.

How to practice: put your fingertip in front of your mouth to feel aspiration (English = puff, Spanish = little/no puff) and then try making the Spanish /t/ by touching the tip/blade of your tongue to the back of your upper front teeth and releasing with no strong burst of air.