Most often the /t/ sound in the initial, final, and medial positions is made by the consonant t as in tap, pot, and little. The use of the consonant t is consistent for the /t/ sound, although there are other letters and combinations of letters that also make the /t/ sound. Sometimes the consonant t is silent, for example, when it is the second t in words like little and bottle, and when it follows s and f in words like listen and soften. It is also silent in many words of French origin such as ballet and bouquet.

T appears in many digraphs, such as th and tch, and can represent the /ch/ and /sh/ sound in words like motion and picture.

The /t/ sound also has other spellings. They include th in Thomas, pt in receipt, bt in doubt, cht in yacht, ed in walked, and tw in two.