'T' or 'CH'

Question

I heard some people pronouncing the words like TRY, TROUBLE, TRUE, DREAM, DRY and so on
with CH sound - so that it sounds like CHRY, CHRUE, CHROUBLE etc and some people don't do that.

Which pronounciation is more correct?

What about the words AUSTRALIA, COUNTRY
(AUSCHRALIA, COUNCHRY)?

Thanks in advance.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Sounds like a speech defect to me, but I suppose I'll be berated by members from lands of other Englishes.

PoorRichard · Answer

Some UK natives use CH for T in these words. UK Radio DJs often play 'choons' (tunes).

I haven't heard CH for D. Could it have been the -DG- sound in 'judge'?

Manohonor · Answer

Yes, Richard, it's 'DG' sound in 'judge'.

PoorRichard · Answer

In that case, yes - those who say CH for T in the UK will probably also say -DG- for D.

You'd be most likely to hear it in London & the surrounding area.

Nona the brit · Answer

Yep, commonly heard round these here parts!

Manohonor · Answer

Thanks a lot for this, guys - but what pronounciation is better?

CalifJim · Answer

Manohonor,

These two phenomena are quite different.

1) 'T' before 'R' becoming 'CH' as in "country" > "counchry".

This is a matter of increasing the usual strong aspiration of "t" in the "tr" combination to the point where aspirated "t" becomes "ch". Some children hear it this way as evidenced by some children's misspelling "chruck" for "truck".

A related phenomenon is the (deplorable) tendency in American English to pronounce all "str" combinations as "shtr". In the past ten years this kind of pronunciation has been on the rise, especially lately, since the American president himself uses this sort of pronunciation. (He speaks, for example, of a SHTRong America, of a good Iraq SHTRategy, of the deSHTRuction of the Twin Towers, and so on.)

2) 'T' in initial 'TU' in British English becoming 'CH'.

This is a matter of "glide absorption". The glide is the 'y' sound of the "long" U, as in "tune" pronounced "chune". This does not happen when the U is "short" as in "tunnel" -- unless the speaker really means "chunnel" (channel tunnel between France and England).

Americans make the change when the "tu" is word internal (fortune), but not when initial.

Manohonor · Answer

CalifJim, so your point is not to use this kind of pronounciation?

CalifJim · Answer

Supposing you are attempting to pronounce 'standard American', TR pronounced CHR or or STR pronounced SHTR is not the thing to do, no!

On the other hand, the combination T + Y = CH is quite common and natural sounding (to me, anyway), especially between a word ending in T and a word beginning Y.

at your service = acher service
last year = las cheer
I heard that you got your visa. = I heard thachoo gotcher visa.
Don't you like it? = Donchoo like it?

In my opinion you'll never sound like you have an American accent unless you master this phenomenon.

Manohonor · Answer

Got it, thanks a lot.

'T' or 'CH'

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