Question

What is the correct phonetic transcription of the word "butter" in American English?

• A. /ˈbʌtər/
• B. [ˈbʌtɚ]
• C. [ˈbʌtə]
• D. /ˈbʊtə/

Answer 1

Answer:

B. [ˈbʌtɚ]

The correct phonetic transcription of the word "butter" in American English is:

✅ [ˈbʌɾɚ]

• /t/ → [ɾ] (flap sound) → In American English, the /t/ in "butter" is pronounced as a flap [ɾ], which sounds like a soft "d" (similar to the "d" in "ladder").

• /ɚ/ (r-colored vowel) → The ending -er is pronounced as a rhotic vowel [ɚ], typical of General American English.

Comparison:

Pronunciation	Transcription
British English	[ˈbʌtə] (with a clear [t] and schwa [ə])
American English	[ˈbʌɾɚ] (with a flap [ɾ] and rhotic [ɚ])