k/k/
Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate (velum). Stop the air, then release.
How to pronounce county in American English
KOWN·tee
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Americans pronounce county as KOWN-tee (/ˈkaʊnti/). In "county", the "t" right after N is dropped — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound. This is called the Silent T after N, a hallmark of natural-sounding American speech. It comes out as KOWN·tee. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick. You'll hear it in sentences like "The sheriff is responsible for law enforcement in the county".
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Sound by sound
Every sound in "county".
2 syllables, 5 sounds. Tap a syllable to jump to its row, then explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.
ow/aʊ/
Start with a dropped jaw and flat tongue. Glide into a relaxed, slightly rounded lip position as the back of the tongue stretches up.
n/n/
Touch the tip or front edge of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. Air flows through your nose.
t/t/
DroppedThe T is skipped entirely. Your tongue doesn't make contact at the T position.
ee/i/
Pull the corners of your lips back slightly. Arch the middle-front of your tongue high toward the roof of the mouth.
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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.
01
Pronouncing the silent T after N.
In "county", the "t" right after N is dropped — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound. /t/ is completely silent — the tongue skips the T stop and moves directly from the N position to the next sound.
county→KOWN·tee
02
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch KOWN — keep everything else short and quick.
kown·TEE→KOWN·tee
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How is "county" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "KOWN" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "KOWN-tee" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Is the American pronunciation of "county" 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 "KOWN-tee" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.
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