How to pronounce but in American English

IPA /bət/ Syllables 1 · buht

buht

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Americans pronounce but as buht (/bət/). You'll hear it in sentences like "I would if I could, but I'm too busy" or "The athlete was thin but very strong" — more examples below.

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Sounds

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Clarity

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Stress

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Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "but", the "t" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Sound by sound

Every sound in "but".

1 syllable, 3 sounds. Explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.

b/b/

Press your lips together, add vocal cord vibration, then release.

uh/ʌ/

Relax your lips, jaw, and tongue completely. Drop your jaw slightly and keep the tongue neutral.

t/t/

Touch the tip or front edge of your tongue to the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Keep your jaw relaxed. Stop the air, then release with a puff.

In real conversation

Hear "but" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"Admittedly, I was initially skeptical, but now I am completely convinced."

uhd·MIH·duhd·lee ahy wuhz ih·NIH·shuh·lee SKEHP·tuh·kuhl buht NOW ahy uhm kuhm·PLEET·lee kuhn·VIHNST

"Disability rights have advanced significantly but challenges remain."

dih·suh·BIH·luh·tee RAHYTS hav uhd·VANST suhg·NIH·fuh·kuhnt·lee buht CHA·luhn·juhz ruh·MAYN

"Giving a gift is a simple but significant thing."

GIH·vuhng uh GIHFT ihz uh SIHM·puhl buht suhg·NIH·fuh·kuhnt thihng

"He disputed the call but the referee stood firm."

hee duh·SPYOO·duhd dhuh KAHL buht dhuh reh·fuh·REE STUUD FURM

"He lived off campus but came to school for classes daily."

hee LIHVD AHF KAM·puhs buht KAYM tuh SKOOL fer KLA·suhz DAY·lee

"I apologize for the short notice but I cannot make it tonight."

ahy uh·PAH·luh·jahyz fer dhuh SHORT NOH·duhs buht ahy KA·naht MAYK iht tuh·NAHYT

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Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

In "but", the "t" is not released — the articulators get into position but hold without the burst of air. Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.

but→buht

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

BUHT→buht

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "but" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "buht" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

Now you try.

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Overall assessment

Common mistakes

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Every sound in "but".

Hear "but" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Looking for a different word or sentence?

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.

Pronouncing the first syllable too fully.

Questions people ask about this.

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