Mutton is the meat of a mature sheep, typically aged over one year. It has a stronger flavor and tougher texture than lamb, and is commonly used in stews, curries, and roasts. In everyday speech, “mutton” refers to the meat species rather than the animal itself, and the term is more prevalent in British English and some Commonwealth varieties.
US: /ˈmʌtən/ with clear /t/ and crisp /ə/; non-rhotic environments won’t alter the pronunciation of the word here, but you may notice a slightly stronger vowel in careful speech. UK: /ˈmʌtən/ with a potentially tighter vowel and crisper /t/; some speakers insert a tiny glottal stop before the /t/ in casual speech. AU: /ˈmʌtən/ tends to a slightly more centralized /ə/ in the second syllable and a conversational pace; the /t/ remains clear but can be flapped in very informal speech. IPA references: US /ˈmʌtən/, UK /ˈmʌtən/, AU /ˈmʌtən/. Practical tip: rehearse with a mirror to monitor tongue height and lip position for /ʌ/ and /ə/.
"I bought a leg of mutton for the Sunday roast."
"The curry recipe called for tender chunks of mutton simmered with spices."
"In the market, mutton is often labeled beside lamb and beef."
"She prepared a rich mutton stew that fed the entire family."
The word mutton derives from the Old French word muiez, later mouton, related to mou, mouton meaning lamb. Its roots trace back to Proto-Germanic *munþ- and Proto-Indo-European *men- indicating meat or nourishment. In Middle English, mutton referred specifically to sheep meat of any age but gradually narrowed to denote meat from mature sheep, differentiating it from lamb. The term appears in English texts by the 13th century, with culinary use flourishing in medieval and early modern cookery. Over time, “mutton” retained a formal or traditional connotation in many dialects, contrasting with the more common lamb in modern cuisine. In British English, mutton is still used for older sheep meat, whereas American English often uses “lamb” for the younger animal and either term for meat depending on context. The word’s semantic shift mirrors broader shifts in meat labeling and culinary practices across Europe and its former colonies.
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Words that rhyme with "Mutton"
-ton sounds
-ct) sounds
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Pronounce as MUT-ton, with the primary stress on the first syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU: /ˈmʌtən/. Start with an open back unrounded vowel /ʌ/ as in 'strut', then a quick, soft /t/ release, and end with /ən/ as in 'button'. If you’re unsure, say ‘MUT’ clearly, then add ‘ton’ quickly. Audio reference: compare with common pronunciation resources and YouGlish examples for native rhythm.
Two frequent errors: 1) Slurring the /t/ into a quick d-like sound (mut-don). 2) Dropping the second syllable or reducing it to /ˈmʌtən/ to /ˈmʌtn/. Correct by enunciating the /t/ as a clear, light stop and ensuring the second syllable carries stress less but is audible as /ən/. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘mutt on’ to fix the separation. Use IPA guidance: /ˈmʌtən/ with a crisp t and schwa-ish /ə/ in unstressed second syllable.
In US English, /ˈmʌtən/ with a rhotic r absence in coda isn’t relevant here; the /t/ is a clear onset. UK English maintains /ˈmʌtən/ with tighter vowel quality and crisper /t/ in non-rhotic context; AU English tends to a slightly more open /ə/ in the second syllable and may be quicker overall. All share primary stress on the first syllable, but vowel height and liaison with following consonants can differ subtly depending on regional speech tempo and vowel merging.
The difficulty lies in producing a clean /t/ stop between syllables and the reduced second syllable /ən/ without losing clarity. Many speakers flatten the /ə/ into a schwa too strongly or merge /t/ with a following alveolar sound. Focus on keeping the /t/ release crisp and ensuring the second syllable is audible but short. Practicing with slow tempo and deliberate articulation helps stabilize the rhythm across words like ‘MUT-ton.’
No silent letters in standard pronunciation: the word is two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈmʌtən/. The challenge is the exact quality of the vowel /ʌ/ and the /ə/ in the second syllable, which can drift toward a reduced /ʊ/ or /ə/ depending on speaker; keep the /t/ crisp to avoid an unintended ‘mud-on’ blend. Listening to native speakers helps cement the natural rhythm.
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