The T that softens into a D

1. 1
   water/ˈwɔːtər/

   noun

   The clear liquid that falls as rain and comes out of a tap.
2. 2
   butter/ˈbʌtər/

   noun

   A soft yellow food made from cream, spread on bread or used in cooking.
3. 3
   bottle/ˈbɑːtəl/

   noun

   A tall container with a narrow neck, used for holding a drink.
4. 4
   daughter/ˈdɔːtər/

   noun

   Someone's female child.
5. 5
   city/ˈsɪti/

   noun

   A big town where a lot of people live and work.
6. 6
   little/ˈlɪtəl/

   adjective

   Small in size or amount.
7. 7
   better/ˈbetər/

   adjective

   More good than something else in quality or skill.
8. 8
   pretty/ˈprɪti/

   adverb

   Fairly, to a decent degree but not completely.
9. 9
   later/ˈleɪtər/

   adverb

   At some point in the future.
10. 10
    matter/ˈmætər/

    verb

    To be important.

The sentences

1. Could I get a glass of water with ice?

2. Can I have some extra butter for the toast?

3. I'd like a bottle of water to go, please.

4. My daughter wants pancakes with a little butter.

5. This is the best coffee in the city.

6. Could you warm this up a little, please?

7. This coffee tastes better than what I had yesterday.

8. The line outside is pretty long right now.

9. We can pay the check a little later.

10. Does it matter if I sit at the counter?

Pronunciation

• water/ˈwɔːtər/

  The first vowel is 'aw', not the a of cat.

• bottle/ˈbɑːtəl/

  The o sounds like 'ah', not like the o in boat.

• daughter/ˈdɔːtər/

  The gh is silent, so it comes out as 'daw-ter'.

• pretty/ˈprɪti/

  The e sounds like an i, so it rhymes with city.

Questions

Why does water sound like 'wader' in American English?

Between vowels, Americans often turn the T into a quick D sound, so water comes out closer to 'wa-der'.

How do I ask for tap water with ice at a diner?

You can say: Could I get a glass of water with ice?

What does pretty mean in 'pretty long'?

Here pretty means fairly, to a decent degree but not completely, so pretty long means fairly long.