# How do you pronounce "to"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485 "2009-01-15T20:48:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/1 "2009-01-15T20:48:32Z")
Do you say “to” or do you say “tuh”? ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/2 "2009-01-15T20:55:39Z")
Two. I don’t say things like "fit-n-ta. ---
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/3 "2009-01-15T20:55:40Z")
If “to” is immediately followed by “the”, I say it “to” with a long o sound. Otherwise it’s “tuh”. For example: I’m going to the store. I’m going tuh work. I never noticed that about myself until I said those sentences (and others) out loud so I could answer your question. How odd. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/4 "2009-01-15T20:57:35Z")
Huh, I say “tuh” almost all of the time. What lazy diction I have. Have to get to work on that. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/5 "2009-01-15T20:58:46Z")
I pronounce it “phlEEEb” ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/6 "2009-01-15T21:00:19Z")
… 2 ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/7 "2009-01-15T21:05:21Z")
The normal pronunciation of “to” is /tə/. It doesn’t sound like “two” or “too.” There are some exceptional circumstances. For example, to emphasize contrast: (On the phone) A: Did you say you’re coming from the park right now? B: No, I said I’m going TO (/tu:/) the park. A: Oh, I see. ---
**Author:** ![Gwyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/858c86/32.png) [@Gwyen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gwyen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/8 "2009-01-15T21:17:44Z")
tuh Unless I am angry. I enunciate things properly when I am angry. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/9 "2009-01-15T22:35:37Z")
I think most of the time I’m about halfway in between those. Not totally enunciated, but not really slurred over, either. And it does depend on what follows it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/10 "2009-01-15T23:30:12Z")
About halfway between the two. Unlike Obama, who very definitely says “tuh.” ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/11 "2009-01-15T23:35:22Z")
My pronunciation is /tə/, except that I just noticed that the t becomes voiced (aka /d/) whenever the sound before it is voiced. Never thought about it that way before. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/12 "2009-01-15T23:43:34Z")
two ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/13 "2009-01-15T23:48:49Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The normal pronunciation of “to” is /tə/. It doesn’t sound like “two” or “too.” Do you mean your normal pronunciation, or actually **the** normal pronunciation? I assume you mean the former because the pronunciation you give isn’t the first listed in the dictionary, it’s “tu” just as it is for too and two (and probably tu as well, but I don’t have an online spanish dictionary link handy). Anyway, I say “tu” for all three (four) words; I’ve only rarely in-person heard someone say “tuh” and not be mocking something. I’m much more lazy about A being “a” or “uh” by turns. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/14 "2009-01-16T00:09:06Z")
I always say “tuh”, except for emphasis, as previously mentioned. “Two be or not two be” just sounds weird coming out of my mouth. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/15 "2009-01-16T01:02:14Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Huh, I say “tuh” almost all of the time. What lazy diction I have. Have to get to work on that. No, you don’t have to. You’d sound absolutely alien if you always said the word the same way as “two”, just as if you always rhymed “a” with “day” and “the” with “bee”. **guizot** is basically correct. Everyone who thinks otherwise is being misled by orthography, hasn’t actually meticulously listened to or transcribed candid speech of theirs, etc.; “to” _has_ an emphatic pronunciation homophonous to “two” (this being its citation form), but the vast majority of employments are in a reduced form (aka, [weak form](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak_form_and_strong_form)). ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/16 "2009-01-16T01:44:33Z")
both. just depends how fast I’m talking at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/17 "2009-01-16T02:08:38Z")
I pronounce it “tә”, unless it comes at the end of the sentence, when I pronounce it “too”. (e.g., “he wants me to go \*\*tә \*\*the store, but I don’t want **too**.”) ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/18 "2009-01-16T02:34:43Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I pronounce it “tә”, unless it comes at the end of the sentence, when I pronounce it “too”. (e.g., “he wants me to go \*\*tә \*\*the store, but I don’t want **too**.”) I forgot about this. I do the same thing. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/19 "2009-01-16T02:38:46Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The normal pronunciation of “to” is /tə/. It doesn’t sound like “two” or “too.” In my accent, the “normal” pronunciations of “to”, “too” and “two” are the same. ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485/20 "2009-01-16T02:58:24Z")
I think usually [tә], but of course in some environments and under some conditions, [tu]. And sometimes the [t] turns into a voiced tap intervocalically as in ['traj.ɾə.fajnd.mi] (= “try to find me” said quickly). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-to/481485.md?page=2)