French T and D: dental placement for cleaner accents

What you’ll learn Place French /t/ and /d/ closer to the teeth for a less ‘English’ sound. Key ideas (keep these in your head) • French t/d are typically more dental (tongue closer to teeth) than English alveolar t/d. • This affects clarity in high-frequency words (tu, t’es, demain, déjà). • Don’t overdo it — the goal is subtle placement shift, not stiffness. Real examples (French → what you often hear → English) • Tu es là. → tu es là → You are here. • Demain. → demain → Tomorrow. • Déjà. → déjà → Already. Drills t tu, trop, tout, temps d demain, déjà, dans, deux Common mistakes (and quick fixes) • Using an English t with strong aspiration. Fix: keep French t cleaner, less breathy. • Swallowing d in fast speech. Fix: keep dental contact light but present. Quick self-check Record: tu / tout / déjà / demain. Compare aspiration and placement to your English t/d.