feeder

IPA /ˈfidər/ Syllables 2 · fee·der Stress 1st syllable
FEE·der
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Americans pronounce feeder as FEE-der (/ˈfidər/). The T between vowels softens into a quick D-like flap, so it sounds closer to a D than a crisp T. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Common mistakes

Saying a hard "T" in the middle.

In "feeder", 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.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch FEE — keep everything else short and quick.

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Why it sounds different

Why "feeder" sounds like FEE·der.

In "feeder", 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, a hallmark of natural-sounding American speech. So instead of FEE·ter, you get FEE·der.

In real conversation

Hear "feeder" in the wild.

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

"He set up a bird feeder in his backyard to attract finches."
hee SEHT UHP uh BURD FEE·der ihn hihz BAK·yard tuh uh·TRAKT FIHN·chuhz
Same pattern

Words that work the same way.

All of these share phonetic features with this word — same trick.

FEH·der·uhlfederalFREE·duhmfreedomduh·SOR·der·leedisorderlyJEH·per·deejeopardyLEE·derleaderLEE·derzleadersLEE·der·SHUHPleadershipMEE·dee·AY·termediator
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 "feeder", 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.

FEE-ter→FEE·der
02

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch FEE — keep everything else short and quick.

fee·DER→FEE·der
03

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.

… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)
Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "feeder" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "FEE" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "FEE-der" 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 "feeder"?
In American English, when /t/ sits between two vowels with the second one unstressed, it turns into a quick D-like flap. So "feeder" sounds closer to "FEE-der" than to a crisp-T pronunciation. This is the flap-T rule, one of the most distinctive sounds of casual American speech.
How do I pronounce the R in "feeder"?
Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.
Is the American pronunciation of "feeder" 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 "FEE-der" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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