In this wide world of language styles

American English

The word water, in American English isn't really a lazy way of speaking as most people seem to think. Its an alveolar flap that makes the tt's sound a bit more like 'dd's. (I believe, for the British English, its 'butter' or batter, that also makes that noise? not sure.) wah'tderr. There is always the exception of when we are trying to speak very clearly for the listener.. vs just typical chatting.

The tip of the tongue taps or slightly slides very briefly against the ridge on the upper palate.

barter is word that has this alveolar flap. bar'tdur. whereas 'matter' and 'batter' still sound like 'tt's. mah'terr bah'terr.

I do think it does depend a little on a given area as well though.. as some people say things differently from one side of America to the other side.
It's a bit like trying to decide what sound is used with which word. ay-long, ahh-short, or the slightly nasally aeh as in nah? most Americans I have heard call the word.. apple.. aeh'pul not ahh'pul or ay'pul. this is of course, in general. each area from this state to that, might have a slightly different (local) way of saying it. How do you say it?

butter - buh'tdur
barter - bar'tder
better - beh'tur
carpenter - kahr'pehn'tur
winter - wihn'tur
letter - leh'tder
matter - maeh'tdur
sitter - sih'ter
attribute - ah'trih'byut
cassette - cae'seht
chatter - chaeh'tur
military - mihlah'tay'ree
battle - baeh'tdul
central - sehnt'rul
dirty - der'tdy
ninety - niyn'tdy
bitter - bih'tur
fetter - feh'tur
glitter - glih'ter
nettle - neh'tul
written - rih'ten
pretty - prih'tee


This alveolar flap/tap is also shown in other languages in varied degrees and word usage as well.

the Japanese 'ɾ'
the Dutch 'ɾ'
the Spanish 'ɾ' as well.


refs.. Antimoon
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