2 syllables: but, ton. Stress on but.
BUHT-uhn
/ˈbʌtən/
button is pronounced BUHT-uhn (/ˈbʌtən/). It has two syllables (but-ton), with the stress on "but". Button refers to a small fastener, typically made of plastic or metal, with a shank or holes for thread to secure fabric. It also serves as a control on devices or machinery (e.g., press a button). In everyday speech, the word functions as a common noun and can be used in phrasal contexts like “push the button.” The term carries a neutral register and is widely used in fashion, technology, and household contexts.
Button refers to a small fastener, typically made of plastic or metal, with a shank or holes for thread to secure fabric. It also serves as a control on devices or machinery (e.g., press a button). In everyday speech, the word functions as a common noun and can be used in phrasal contexts like “push the button.” The term carries a neutral register and is widely used in fashion, technology, and household contexts.
- You may insert a full vowel before the final nasal, saying /ˈbʌtən/; correct by keeping the second syllable syllabic: /ˈbʌt.n̩/. - Over-articulate the final /n/; allow it to be light and syllabic rather than a heavy consonant cluster. Practice with a closed mouth at the end of the first syllable, then let the air flow into a relaxed nasal. - Reduced first syllable length, especially in fast speech; ensure you start with a clear /b/ and a crisp /t/ before the nasal; use a tiny vowel only if needed to avoid clipping. - Misplacing the tongue for the /t/ causing a glottal stop; keep the /t/ with a light release rather than cutting off air with a glottal stop. - In connected speech, the word may sound like /ˈbɒtn̩/ or /ˈbuːn̩/ for some; practice with careful jaw alignment and a neutral vowel in the first syllable to avoid vowel drift.
"She sewed a decorative button onto the blue shirt."
"Please press the button to start the machine."
"The top button on his shirt kept coming undone."
Say /ˈbʌt·n̩/ in US/UK; the first syllable carries primary stress, and the second is a syllabic nasal /n̩/ or a light schwa+nasal depending on speaker. Begin with an open back lax vowel like ‘but,’ then immediately move to a quick, reduced final consonant. In connected speech, you may hear /ˈbətən/ with the middle vowel reduced. Audio reference can help: listen for a rapid transition from /ʌ/ to a short, whispered /n/ syllable; avoid pronouncing a full /n/ as a separate emphasized syllable.
Common errors include pronouncing a full /t/ in the second syllable, yielding /ˈbʌt.tən/ or /ˈbʌt.tən/; and inserting an extra vowel, like /ˈbʌt.ənˈ/ or /ˈbʊt.ən/. The correct form keeps the second syllable as a reduced or syllabic nasal: /ˈbʌt.n̩/. Another frequent slip is alveolar stop release in rapid speech, creating a choppy rhythm. To fix: end the first syllable with a crisp /t/, then relax the tongue and let the /n/ become syllabic or attach a light schwa. Practice minimal pairs like /ˈbʌt.n̩/ vs /ˈbʌt.ən/ to hear the subtle vowel reduction.
All three accents share primary stress on the first syllable, /ˈbʌt/. In US English, you typically have a clear /ˈbʌt.n̩/ with a syllabic /n/, rhotic and often with a light /ɹ/ on surrounding words. UK/RP tends toward a similar pattern but with less vowel length and potentially a crisper /t/ release; the second syllable remains syllabic or reduced /n/. Australian English tends to be even more centralized with a slightly more relaxed vowel in the first syllable and a more centralized final /n/; keep the /t/ crisp and avoid a strong vowel between /t/ and /n/. Across all, the key is maintaining the /ˈbʌt.n̩/ rhythm while letting the final syllable stay light.
The difficulty centers on the second syllable: the /t/ followed by a rapid /n/ often reduces to a syllabic /n̩/ or a very light /n/ without a vowel, which many speakers find less intuitive. The straight /t/ release can clash with the following nasal, producing a cluster that some try to articulate as /tən/ instead of the natural /tn̩/. Additionally, in connected speech, the vowel in the first syllable can reduce slightly, making the contrast between /b/ and /t/ less pronounced. Mastery comes from isolating the two segments, practicing the tight /t/ then letting the tongue rest for the nasal.
A practical tip: think of the word as two parts, but with the second part compressed. Prepare the tongue for /t/ at the end of the first syllable, then snap to a relaxed /n̩/. Visualize a tiny pause between /t/ and /n̩/ that never fully materializes; keep it breathy and light. Focus on the timing: the /t/ should be brief but clear, then the /n̩/ should be immediate and compact. Practice along with a metronome at 60-80 BPM, saying /ˈbʌt.n̩/ in smooth, continuous motion.
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- US: rhotic, fuller /ɚ/ around; keep /ˈbʌt.n̩/ with a crisp /t/ and syllabic /n/. - UK: crisper /t/ and slightly reduced first vowel; maintain non-rhotic influence; the second syllable remains syllabic /n̩/. - AU: more centralized vowel in /ʌ/ and relaxed pace; keep /t/ clear and avoid a heavy vowel in the second syllable; expect less vowel length in first syllable and a quick /n̩/. - IPA anchors: US /ˈbʌt.n̩/, UK /ˈbʌt.n̩/, AU /ˈbʌt.n̩/; practice with minimal pairs focusing on /ʌ/ vs /ɒ/ differences and ensuring the /t/ has no glottal stop intrusion. - Tips: practice with slow enunciation, then speed up while maintaining the same tongue positions; focus on a light, short /t/ release and a crisp, quick nasal nucleus. - Use Forvo to hear native samples and YouGlish to hear across phrases; Pronounce offers precise guidance for this word.
The word button comes from the Old French bouton, meaning bud or knob, linked to Latin bottonem from botton- ‘knob, bud.’ It entered English in the 13th century with sense of a small round fastener. The original buttons were disks of bone, horn, or metal; holes for sewing tied with thread to fabric. In Middle English, buttoning and buttonholes emerged as garment closures, with a separate term buttonhole developing to describe the slit. By the 16th–18th centuries, fashion implications grew; buttons became ornamental as much as functional, with button size, material, and shank evolving. Advances in button-making—plastic in the 20th century—accelerated mass production and affordability. In modern usage, button also migrates to metaphorical senses (buttons on devices, controls) and in tech-speak, e.g., “press the button.” First known use in English attested by the 14th century. The semantic scope broadened from a simple fastening device to a generic control indicator, while pronunciation remained stable with a /ˈbʌt·n/ stress pattern and reduced vowel in the second syllable due to phonotactic simplification of cluster reduction in rapid speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "button" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "button" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "button"
-ton sounds
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