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Why "twenty" sounds different in British English
RP says /ˈtwenti/ with a clear T. In casual American English a T after N between vowels is often dropped entirely, so "twenty" becomes /ˈtweni/, "twenny", and "internet" becomes "innernet". Careful American speech keeps the T, so the dictionary form is the same in both.
The British habit is to keep it every time: "TWEN-tee", "plen-tee", "wan-ted". In London and some other regional speech a glottal stop can replace the T after N, "twen'y", but in standard British English it stays. The same applies to all the -ty numbers: "thirty", "forty", "seventy".
How to say "twenty" like a Brit, step by step
- Say tw with rounded lips, then a short e, as in "bed": twen.
- Keep your tongue on the ridge after the n, then release a clear t. Don't let the N swallow it.
- Finish with a short ee.
- Stress the first syllable: TWEN-tee.
Practise "twenty" in a sentence
- The bus comes every twenty minutes.
- Could you lend me twenty quid until Friday?
- She moved to London in her early twenties.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce twenty in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, twenty is pronounced /ˈtwenti/, roughly "TWEN-tee". Pronounce the T after the N: TWEN-tee, not "twenny".
Is the American pronunciation of twenty wrong?
No. /ˈtwenti/ or /ˈtweni/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ˈtwenti/.