/Flap/

The flap /ɾ/: the t that sounds like a Spanish r

When a /t/ or /d/ sits between two vowels and the second one is unstressed, Americans don't pronounce it as a /t/: they turn it into a lightning-fast tap of the tongue. That tap is exactly the Spanish r in pero. It's some of the best news there is for a Spanish speaker: you already have this sound.

How it's made

• 👄 Mouth: slightly open, no tension.
• 👅 Tongue: one quick, light tap against the alveolar ridge, as in pero.
• 🔊 Voice: voiced and extremely brief — shorter than a /d/.

You hear it in: better · butter · city · party · water

⚠️ The typical Spanish-speaker mistake: pronouncing the written t at full strength. Water with a clear /t/ sounds like textbook English, not spoken American English.

By the end you'll be able to: spot when a t becomes a flap, and produce it with the r you can already make.