I’ve almost exclusively encountered this word in written form, not spoken aloud. I have always assumed that the pronunciation rhymed with “cat.” But while watching an episode of The Leftovers a couple of days ago a character used it and pronounced it rhyming with “cot.” And I seem to recall a thread here a while back mentioning the “twot” pronunciation. So which is the proper way of saying it? If ever faced with the need to scream “twat” at someone, I don’t want to risk embarrassing myself.
IME “cat” is more of a British pronunciation, “cot” would be American.
cite: George Carlin, 1972 album “Class Clown” pronounces twat to rhyme with “cot”
All my Brit buddies say twot, it is fine by me to say it either way sort of a tomayto tomahto thing.
Don’t know if I’ve ever had cause to say it, but having heard it on several occasions, the ‘t-wat’ rhyming with cot is the usually accepted version.
IMHO as always. YMMV.
I too do not recall hearing it spoken if at all but my reading pronunciation rhymes with “cot”. It didn’t even cross my mind that it might rhyme with “cat”. If I said it I’d definitely match The Leftovers’ pronunciation.
In England where it is fairly common, it rhymes with ‘cat’. I have heard about the, rarer, American ‘twot’ pronunciation, however.
I suggest you check the nationality of the person you’re screaming it at first, to ensure you get it correct. After all, you wouldn’t want them to get offended.
What a buzzkill to find yourself properly positioned to lob a soul-stinging “twat” at someone only to have them wrinkle up their nose and mock you for mispronouncing the insult. It would bother me, anyway. I’d probably start crying.
“Actually, I think you’ll find I’m a twat.” mean kids in background snigger, high five
Same sound as in Twotter.
TWA had great TWA tea. Best in the sky.
I’m too polite for twat. I use the word twad, which rhymes with cod.
Mostly, I use it on my cat. “Tippy! You little twad! Get out of the sink!”
Two things…Firstly in the UK the overwhelming majority rhyme it with “cat”
Secondly, I have fond memories of TWA sponsoring a football match and seeing their name splashed boldly across every hoarding around the pitch in an unbroken line…TWATWATWATWATWATWATWATWATWA
very funny, and remained so for the whole of the game.
I’ve pretty much only heard it as “twat” (to rhyme with “cat”) in the UK, although I had an Indian roommate from Hong Kong with a lovely posh British accent, and my memories of her have it perhaps closer to “twot.” Not quite as strong as the “ah” type sound you get in my dialect of American English for “hot,” but something a bit “softer”. (Basically, I’m trying to describe /ɑ/ vs /ɒ/).
Nth that it’s far more commonly pronounced to rhyme with cat in the UK.
Dr John Cooper Clarke agrees:
In first or second grade, someone asked me if I was on an airplane and the stewardess (that’s what they were called back then) asked if I wanted TWA coffee, TWA milk, or TWA tea, which would I want.
Went right over my head at the time.
Why does Dr Pepper come in a bottle?
Because his wife died.
Didn’t get that one either.
It rhymes with cat, as demonstrated by Alan Partridge in his soccer football commentary.
By the way, St. Louis was TWA’s headquarters back in the 1980’s. We pronounced it “twah” (rhymes with cot.)
Either is fine. I go with twat because I feel you can be more emphatic.
Funny, I have heard it almost exclusively spoken and rarely in print. Maybe I need to read seamier stuff. 
Anyway, I would have said it rhymes with “swat”.