How to pronounce shutoff in American English

IPA /ˈʃʌɾˌɑf/ Syllables 2 · shuht·ahf Stress 1st syllable

SHUHT·ahf

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Americans pronounce shutoff as SHUHT-ahf (/ˈʃʌɾˌɑf/). 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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Sounds

75%

Clarity

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Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

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72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

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Why it sounds different

Why "shutoff" sounds like SHUHT·AHF.

The "" shared between "" and "" is held once, slightly longer, and released once instead of stopping and starting twice. This is called the Same-Consonant Linking, a connected-speech trick that makes phrases flow. It comes out as SHUHT·AHF.

In real conversation

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"The machinery has automatic shutoff features for worker protection."

dhuh muh·SHEE·ner·ee huhz ah·tuh·MA·tuhk SHUHT·ahf FEE·cherz fer WUR·ker pruh·TEHK·shuhn

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

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

Stressing the wrong syllable.

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

shuht·AHF→SHUHT·AHF

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "shutoff" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the first syllable — say "SHUHT" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "SHUHT-ahf" 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 "shutoff"?

In American English, when /t/ sits between two vowels with the second one unstressed, it turns into a quick D-like flap. So "shutoff" sounds closer to "SHUHT-ahf" than to a crisp-T pronunciation. This is the flap-T rule, one of the most distinctive sounds of casual American speech.

Is the American pronunciation of "shutoff" 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 "SHUHT-ahf" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Why "shutoff" sounds like SHUHT·AHF.

Hear "shutoff" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Questions people ask about this.

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