d/d/
Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Add vocal cord vibration as you release.
How to pronounce data in American English
DAY·tuh
Start here
Americans pronounce data as DAY-tuh (/ˈdeɪɾə/). In "data", the "t" between vowels sounds like a quick "d" — the tongue briefly taps the ridge behind the upper teeth. This is called the Flap T, the kind of sound shift that makes everyday speech feel effortless. So instead of tAY·tuh, you get DAY·tuh. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick. You'll hear it in sentences like "The data suggests a positive outcome" or "The data on my computer isn't loading" — more examples below.
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Sound by sound
Every sound in "data".
2 syllables, 4 sounds. Tap a syllable to jump to its row, then explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.
ay/eɪ/
Start with your jaw slightly open and the front of your tongue forward and slightly up. Glide upward, your jaw closes a little more and your tongue arches higher toward the roof of the mouth.
t/t/
FlapQuickly bounce the front of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Don't stop the airflow — just a quick tap.
uh/ʌ/
Relax your lips, jaw, and tongue completely. Drop your jaw slightly and keep the tongue neutral.
In real conversation
Hear "data" in the wild.
Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.
"Data analysis revealed a significant correlation between the variables."
DAY·duh uh·NA·luh·suhs ruh·VEELD uh suhg·NIH·fuh·kuhnt kor·uh·LAY·shuhn buh·TWEEN dhuh VAIR·ee·uh·buhlz
"Data privacy concerns have led to stricter regulations globally."
DAY·duh PRAHY·vuh·see kuhn·SURNZ hav LEHD tuh STRIHK·ter rehg·yuh·LAY·shuhnz GLOH·buh·lee
"Meteorologists predict the weather using satellite data and models."
mee·dee·uh·RAH·luh·juhsts pruh·DIHKT dhuh WEH·dher YOO·zuhng SA·duh·lahyt DAY·duh and MAH·duhlz
"Our hypothesis was supported by the empirical data we collected."
OW·er hahy·PAH·thuh·suhs wuhz suh·POR·tuhd bahy dhee ehm·PEER·uh·kuhl DAY·duh wee kuh·LEHK·tuhd
"The absolute absence of accurate data is aggravating."
dhee AB·suh·loot AB·suhns uhv A·kyer·uht DAY·duh ihz A·gruh·vay·duhng
"The data clearly shows a significant improvement over the previous quarter."
dhuh DAY·duh KLEER·lee SHOHZ uh suhg·NIH·fuh·kuhnt uhm·PROOV·muhnt OH·ver dhuh PREE·vee·uhs KWOR·ter
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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
Saying a hard "T" in the middle.
In "data", the "t" between vowels sounds like a quick "d" — the tongue briefly taps the ridge behind the upper teeth. /t/ or /d/ becomes a quick tap [ɾ] — sounds like a soft D. The tongue briefly taps the ridge behind the upper teeth.
tAY-tuh→DAY·tuh
02
Stressing the wrong syllable.
Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch DAY — keep everything else short and quick.
day·TUH→DAY·tuh
03
Pronouncing the unstressed 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.
DAY·TUH→DAY·tuh
Questions
Questions people ask about this.
How is "data" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "DAY" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "DAY-tuh" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why doesn't the T sound like a T in "data"?
In American English, when /t/ sits between two vowels with the second one unstressed, it turns into a quick D-like flap. So "data" sounds closer to "DAY-tuh" than to a crisp-T pronunciation. This is the flap-T rule, one of the most distinctive sounds of casual American speech.
Why does the second syllable in "data" reduce to "uh"?
Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "DAY-tuh" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
Is the American pronunciation of "data" 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 "DAY-tuh" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.
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