Intervocalic T-Glottalization

A number of English speakers have intervocalic T-glottalization. This can be heard in many British speakers including London, western England and Scotland. Cockney is a dialect which is well-known for intervocalic T-glottalization. Of the Caribbean dialects, Barbadian English also has intervocalic T-glottalization. Though avoided in careful speech, intervocalic T-glottalization appears to be spreading.

T-glottalization is a form of lenition and a subclass of debuccalization. The glottal stop shares the same manner of articulation as the voiceless alveolar plosive and agrees with it in voice. Though not all English speakers apply T-glottalization intervocalically, it is very common before nasals as in button and cotton and also very common word-finally as in cat and hot.

The process of T-glottalization is most common before a stressed vowel. For example, it occurs in water but less frequently in society. T-glottalization does not occur before stressed vowels such as return.

Though intervocalic T-glottalization is associated with British English, it also occurs in Barbadian English. Intervocalic T-glottalization appears to be spreading. It is most common in younger speakers. T-glottalization is a sound change which can be classified as lenition.