2 syllables: let, ter. Stress on let.
LET-ur
/ˈlɛtɚ/
letter is pronounced LET-ur (/ˈlɛtɚ/). It has two syllables (let-ter), with the stress on "let". A common noun and verb where the noun refers to a written character or a mailed note, and the verb means to inscribe characters or to send a message. In pronunciation, it is a one-syllable word with a clear initial /l/ onset and a final /ɚ/ (US) or /ə/ (UK/AU) ending in some accents, requiring careful vowel reduction and syllable timing to avoid vowel mergers with adjacent sounds.
A common noun and verb where the noun refers to a written character or a mailed note, and the verb means to inscribe characters or to send a message. In pronunciation, it is a one-syllable word with a clear initial /l/ onset and a final /ɚ/ (US) or /ə/ (UK/AU) ending in some accents, requiring careful vowel reduction and syllable timing to avoid vowel mergers with adjacent sounds.
- You’ll hear many learners flatten the final syllable into a heavier /ə(r)/ or drop it entirely in fast speech. This makes the word run together with the following word and erases the crisp contrast between /t/ and the ending. Practice: say /ˈlɛtər/ slowly, then slowly release the /t/ and let the /ɚ/ or /ə/ pop. - Another common mistake: treating /lt/ as two separate steps with a noticeable release from /l/ to /t/. In careful speech, keep a clean alveolar /t/ release without an extra vowel between them. - A third mistake: US speakers sometimes convert /ˈlɛtər/ to /ˈliːtər/ or /ˈlɛtɚ/ losing the short /ɛ/. Work on keeping /ɛ/ rather than a lengthened or diphthongized vowel. Correction tips: practice minimal pairs with clear /l/ + /t/ transitions, shadow slowly, and record to hear the linking and rhythm.
"She wrote a letter to her friend."
"The letter arrived this morning."
"Please letter the envelope clearly before you seal it."
In most varieties, say it as two sounds: /ˈlɛ/ with a clear L and short e as in 'let', then a schwa-like or rhotacized ending /tɚ/ in American English. So overall /ˈlɛtər/ (US) or /ˈletə/ (UK/AU). The stress is on the first syllable. Visualize mouth: lips relaxed, tip of tongue near the alveolar ridge for /t/, and the tongue blade sits behind the upper teeth for /l/. Use a quick, light release after /t/ into the schwa. Tone your voice on the first syllable; keep the second syllable short and neutral.”,
Common errors: (1) Over-articulating the second syllable: stressing the ending /ər/ too strongly, making it sound like 'letterR'. (2) Christmas-like assimilation of /t/ with a following vowel in connected speech, turning into a glottal stop or tighter /ɾ/. Correction: keep the /t/ as a light alveolar stop and relax the tail into a soft /ɚ/ or /ə/. (3) Erroneous pronouncing the ending as /ɪər/ or /er/ in non-rhotic accents; instead, in US keep /ər/, UK/AU reduce to /ə/.
US: /ˈlɛtər/ with rhotic /ɹ/ in the ending; clear /ɪ/ for the vowel before /t, then /ɚ/. UK/AU: /ˈletə/ or /ˈlɛtə/ with non-rhotic ending; final vowel reduced to /ə/ and /t/ less aspirated in rapid speech. Australians often mirror UK patterns but can show regional rhotic tendencies; some speakers retain a light /ɹ/ in careful speech. IPA references reflect general tendencies: US /ˈlɛtər/, UK/AU /ˈletə/.
Two main challenges: the consonant cluster /lt/ between the alveolar /l/ and /t/, which can invite a tongue-tie or quick release; and the final schwa or rhotic ending varies by accent, making it easy to flatten the /ə/ into a more closed vowel or misplace the /ɹ/ entirely. Practicing clear initial /l/ and timely release of /t/ helps; relaxing the jaw and keeping the tongue blade high enough to avoid a heavy /t/ helps with the final vowel. Use IPA awareness to adjust per accent.
No. 'Letter' is fully pronounced: the initial L, the /t/ in the middle, and the final schwa or rhotic ending are articulated. Some accents may reduce the second syllable so it sounds almost like 'let-uh' or 'lett-er' in casual speech, but the sound remains, not silent. Awareness of the /t/ release and the final weak vowel will help you avoid skipping the final sound.
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- US: rhotic /ɹ/ ending, avoid over-lengthening the second syllable; keep a punchy /t/ release. - UK: non-rhotic ending, final /ə/ more centralized, avoid adding /ɹ/; keep “letter” as /ˈletə/. - AU: tends toward /ˈletə/ or /ˈlɛtə/ with a lighter /ə/ and less distinct rhoticity; practice both rhotic and non-rhotic realizations depending on regional influence. IPA cues: US /ˈlɛtɚ/, UK/AU /ˈletə/. - Vowel: keep /ɛ/ clear, not /e/ or /i:/; mouth open moderately; tongue mid-low. - Consonants: L is light, tip at alveolar ridge; T is a crisp blast; avoid d-sound influence on the /t/.
Letter comes from Old English leter, which itself derives from Latin littera, meaning a sheet of writing or a character of the alphabet. The Latin term is often traced to the Proto-Italic root *littera*, related to the Greek leterá or lexis for writing, and originally referred to a written symbol or letter of the alphabet. In early English, leter appeared in documents to denote a written symbol, and by Middle English the spelling settled as letter, with meanings expanding to include a written message (missive) and the act of inscribing. The sense of a single alphabetic symbol persisted, while the verb form “to letter” emerged in the sense of inscribing or marking with letters, or addressing with a letter. Over time, “letter” also became a category name for characters (A, B, C) and for a mailed communication. First known uses appear across Old English and Latin-influenced texts, with the modern pronunciation consolidating around the one-syllable form /ˈlɛtər/ in General American and /ˈlɛtə/ in some UK pronunciations, while Australian practice tends toward /ˈlɛtə/ with non-rhotic endings other than in some dialects.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "letter" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "letter"
-ter sounds
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