# Why can't Taiwanese pronounce syllables that end with m, k, p, t **URL:** \ **Category:** Taiwanese and Hakka Corner\ **Created:** [April 14, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473 "2021-04-14T17:02:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OysterOmelet](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/oysteromelet/32/219695_2.png) [@OysterOmelet](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/OysterOmelet)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/1 "2021-04-14T17:02:07Z")
When there are words in Holo with those endings? Seems like they can only pronounce -n and -ng. ---
**Author:** ![Explant](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/explant/32/130551_2.png) [@Explant](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Explant)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/2 "2021-04-14T18:03:27Z")
Situations taiwanese use said letters at the end of things. M: Mmmmmmm and Hmmmmmm K: OK (arguably thats an ay) P: L.O.P. (taiwanese but still, also argubly an .ee) T: shit (arguably a hybrid of low gut e and huh grunt) ---
**Author:** ![OysterOmelet](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/oysteromelet/32/219695_2.png) [@OysterOmelet](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/OysterOmelet)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/3 "2021-04-14T18:26:38Z")
> [@Explant](#): > > Situations taiwanese use said letters at the end of things. > > M: Mmmmmmm and Hmmmmmm > K: OK (arguably thats an ay) > P: L.O.P. (taiwanese but still, also argubly an .ee) > T: shit (arguably a hybrid of low gut e and huh grunt) Thanks for providing those examples. Appears that only one of them (t) is pronounced at the end of a syllable prefixed with a vowel. ---
**Author:** ![ThaiJuan](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@ThaiJuan](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/ThaiJuan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/4 "2021-04-14T22:12:49Z")
> [@Explant](#): > > K: OK (arguably thats an ay) > P: L.O.P. (taiwanese but still, also argubly an .ee) There’s nothing arguable about either of those. They both end in vowel sounds. If they ended in k and p sounds they’d be “oak” and “elope.” ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/5 "2021-04-15T01:26:06Z")
If you can make a dirty word with it, guaranteed people will try with all their might to learn it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:31am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/6 "2021-04-15T01:31:00Z")
I suspect English-language instruction in Mandarin-based educational settings and reinforced by input from many Mandarin speakers strengthens the influence of that language (which does not have final m p k t.) I wouldn’t say “can’t” though, though I know what you mean. ---
**Author:** ![the\_bear](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/the_bear/32/192391_2.png) [@the\_bear](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/the_bear)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/7 "2021-04-15T01:33:26Z")
Those are ghosted consonants aren’t they? They’re not really “pronounced”. ---
**Author:** ![TT](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tt/32/271883_2.png) [@TT](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TT)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/8 "2021-04-15T01:35:43Z")
> [@tempogain](#): > > I wouldn’t say “can’t” though, though I know what you mean I see what you did there ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/9 "2021-04-15T01:36:38Z")
Still, it’s pretty analogous. Final “m” is pretty close, you wouldn’t think you’d end up with something like “ham-mu” for “ham”. And you might expect something a little better than “ja-kuh” for “Jack”, etc. For the p k t it is different as you say, so maybe not totally surprising. ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/10 "2021-04-15T01:37:38Z")
> [@TT](#): > > I see what you did there Really? I don’t see it! 🙂 What are you implying sir ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:42am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/11 "2021-04-15T01:42:06Z")
Depending on the accent, most people don’t pronounce the T at the end of a syllable. You said can’t so it seemed like a play on the word cause the word has the feature we are talking about while also meaning unable to ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/12 "2021-04-15T01:44:42Z")
> [@Marco](#): > > Depending on the accent, most people don’t pronounce the T at the end of a syllable. In what language? ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/13 "2021-04-15T01:45:04Z")
English. I don’t pronounce the Ts at the end of a syllable. ---
**Author:** ![ThaiJuan](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@ThaiJuan](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/ThaiJuan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/14 "2021-04-15T01:45:08Z")
> [@Marco](#): > > Depending on the accent, most people don’t pronounce the T at the end of a syllable. So can’t and can sound the same? Or par and part? What accent would that be? ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/15 "2021-04-15T01:45:46Z")
Ontario for sure. No. The T makes an abrupt stop. T-glottalisation is what google tells me. ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/16 "2021-04-15T01:47:30Z")
To be clear, your tongue goes into the correct position though, right? Like if you say “I’m all wet”, the tongue goes into t position, and it’s not like you’re saying “weh”. > [@Marco](#): > > T-glottalisation Right. ---
**Author:** ![Marco](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/marco/32/179744_2.png) [@Marco](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Marco)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:49am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/17 "2021-04-15T01:49:28Z")
Yeah. Like saying uh-oh. It’s all we- [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/chcjHwWwVxQ/maxresdefault.jpg "How to Pronounce the Glottal Stop/Glottal T and When is it Used") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chcjHwWwVxQ) Found this video. ---
**Author:** ![the\_bear](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/the_bear/32/192391_2.png) [@the\_bear](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/the_bear)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:54am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/18 "2021-04-15T01:54:48Z")
“Cunt” definitely has a glottal stop. ---
**Author:** ![the\_bear](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/the_bear/32/192391_2.png) [@the\_bear](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/the_bear)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:56am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/19 "2021-04-15T01:56:34Z")
In some cases there’s not even ghosting. Think of a cockney saying “water”. The tongue makes no attempt to pronounce the t. ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473/20 "2021-04-15T01:58:04Z")
> [@the\_bear](#): > > Think of a cockney saying “water”. I can’t picture it. In NY it becomes a d/t sound. [Next page](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/why-cant-taiwanese-pronounce-syllables-that-end-with-m-k-p-t/205473.md?page=2)