/t̪/ – Voiceless Denti-Alveolar Stop

In English we create /t/, /d/ and /n/ sounds by touching the tip of the tongue against the upper gumline (alveolar ridge). 

In contrast, you make the Spanish /t̪/, /d̪/ and /n̪/ sounds by touching the blade of your tongue (just behind the tip) to this same spot. To do this, you have to stick your tongue out a bit further. This causes your tongue to actually rest between your two rows of front teeth. 

Notice the little “tooth” symbol underneath the symbols. We use this to remind you of the difference between these sounds in Spanish.
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This may seem like a minor detail, but it is important because certain Spanish sound combinations are IMPOSSIBLE to produce with the English tip-of-the-tongue versions of these consonants. You will need to know how to do this when you get to speaking at faster and faster speeds.
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Some tips for these consonants:

• Stick your tongue out a bit further, causing the tip of your tongue to actually rest beneath your upper teeth
• Exaggerate and have your tongue all the way out
• Practice with the “th” sound from English
• Do not let the tongue retreat back into the mouth between consonants

1. Build Awareness

tú [t̪u], tal [t̪äl], minuto [mi.n̪u.t̪o̞], toda [t̪o̞.d̪ä], toca [t̪o̞.kä], cita [si.t̪ä], tenga [t̪e̞ŋ.ä], gato [gä.t̪o̞], listo [lis.t̪o̞], estoy [e̞s.t̪o̞i]