How to pronounce International sanctions were imposed in response to the violations. in American English
In casual American English, "International sanctions were imposed in response to the violations" sounds like "ihn-ter-NA-shuh-nuhl SANGK-shuhnz wer ihm-POHZD ihn ruh-SPAHNS tuh dhuh vahy-uh-LAY-shuhnz". Several things happen here, and the headline one is the Silent T after N: the T after N drops out entirely. Keep stressed words long, unstressed words short, and link the consonants forward into the vowels.
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What makes this sentence sound American.
In "international", 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, the kind of sound shift that makes everyday speech feel effortless. It comes out as ihn-ter-NA-shuh-nuhl.
What's happening in this sentence.
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Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.
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Pronouncing the silent T after N.
In "international", 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.
Pronouncing the vowel before NG too pure.
In "sanctions", the "a" vowel before NG shifts toward "ay" — sounding like "ay" as in "say", a distinctly American pattern — most prominent in Midwestern American English; other GenAm speakers may use a less raised vowel. Vowel changes to sound like /eɪ/ ("ay" as in "say").
Treating every L the same.
The L in "international" is a dark L — the back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate, adding a small "uh" quality before the L. Dark L adds a small schwa-like "uh" before the L. The back of the tongue lifts toward the soft palate.
Releasing the final consonant with a puff of air.
In "sanctions", the "" 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.
Questions people ask about this.
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