Sometimes I don’t seem to hear the ‘d’ pronounced in words like ‘didn’t’, ‘wouldn’t’, ‘couldn’t’. I looked for the pronunciaton on the internet and it seems to be acceptable for American English, but is it for British English? However, what do you say?
@Alan, @Anglophile, @Arinker, @NearlyNapping
Thank you in advance.
For the native Americans - I have hyperacusis - which can cause pain, frustration, and even terror. However, I don’t think it has anything to do with that.
I think the ‘d’ is softly pronounced in all the three words you have cited, whether it is in BrE or in AmE.
Thank you for your reply, Anglophile.
I think the ‘d’ is often reduced by many speakers but not all as you can hear here:
Thank you Torsten. This has been a great help, since, as you know I prefer British English over American English and this showed me that the British do slightly or not pronounce the ‘d’. If I’m wrong, just tell me. How is the teaching going?
I don’t pronounce the D at all.
At Forvo, I heard some Brits, Australians, and Americans pronounce it the way I do, but others from all three countries who didn’t. It seems to be very regional, or maybe specific to a person.
Thank you for your reply, Dan.
I pronounce the “d”.
Of course, many people don’t.
If there were no “d”, you might pronounce “shouldn’t” as if it were a single syllable, something close to “shunt”. I think that people acknowledge the “d” and the two syllables by changing pitch at that point, as you would if you were pronouncing the “d”. This seems to be enough for people to hear the correct word.
(This is based on extensive research as I was sitting here muttering to myself.)
There’s a lot of cool stuff, thanks for asking. I plan to share some details over the Christmas holidays and I’m thrilled that @Andrea has now met some of “my” kids too and they really enjoyed our online session together!
Do not mutter, my dear wonderful subject, speak up!!! Hahahahahahahaha. Anyway thank you.
That is wonderful to hear, Torsten. By the way, give my regards to Andrea, preferably in Afrikaans. You know, I do so love that language.
Hello Marc! Hope you are well! 
I know it’s been a long time!
Yes, you can say that again. 
But then, you have a lot on your mind, your children, your work and all that. It’s nice to hear from you again and I’m fine too. Thank you for asking. By the way do you know some interesting websites about the Boer War in South Africa? I believe it was a war between the Dutch and the English. I’d be very happy if you could help me with that.
Thank you, Marc! You’re so kind! Thank goodness tomorrow the school year is finished! Yay!
Yes, I can look for useful websites for you! As I have been interested in my family history it made me more aware of where my family came from. Why am i telling you this?? Well…I discovered that family were held up in a concentration camp during the Boer war and some family members were sent to different places as prisoners of war. It does make me feel sad that it happened to them They were into farming and had a farm.
Chat soon. Its very late here! Andrea
Thank you very much. Now, about those concentration camps - Were people paid to work? You see I’m reading a novel ‘Master of the Game’ by Sidney Sheldon - you may have heard about it - Those camps are used as the setting.You read about working camps, where black and white workers have to work in mines to find diamonds and gold. Yet, they have to live in harrowing conditions. (I hope I said this well). I can’t tell you any more, otherwise I could be sued for plagiarism.
No ‘d’, no thank you. I’m sitting here trying to say those words sans ‘d’, and I can’t. Anyhow I wouldn’t.
Hi Marc, I don’t think so! They were held there. I think mostly mothers and children. The men were sent to different places.
I haven’t heard about this novel. I’m sure there were places where people were forced to work.
There were people that worked in mines and I’m sure their conditions weren’t always good.
If you retell a story in your own words you are not doing anything wrong! Although I think in this case, it was more like you didn’t want to give anymore details about the rest of the story. You didn’t want to spoil the plot of the story and ending in case I would want to read it!
Take care, Andrea
Hi Andrea,
That’s true.