Pronunciation Reduction At

I am at work.

At is a preposition which also makes it a function word. As with most function words it is reduced in the sentence. The sound reduction for at is a schwa sound with either a stop t or flap t. The sound made depends on if there is a consonant, vowel sound or diphthong after at in the sentence. If the next sound is a consonant it will be a stop t at the end. If the next sound is a vowel or diphthong it will have the flap t at the end. Here are a few examples of the reduction at:

• Meet me at her desk. (Stop t)
• I am at work. (Stop t)
• We are at the doctor’s office. (Stop t)
• I am ad a baseball game. (Flap t)
• They are ad a beach. (Flap t)
• I am ad her house. (Flap t since the d is dropped)

Notice in the last example there is a flap t sound. The reason for this is due to the reduction of her, which becomes er. It is no longer a consonant sound. The point is to remember when the words link, they can change the sounds of the next word, which changes the sound of the first word as well.