How to pronounce "look at" in English — Connected Speech Guide (IPA /ˈlʊkət/)

How native English speakers pronounce "look at" (IPA /ˈlʊkət/) — connected speech rule, example sentences, and audio for GA and RP. Free. k links into at: loo-kat

look at pronunciation (IPA /ˈlʊkət/) — Linking

What happens in this phrase

k links into at: loo-kat

Example sentences

look at that beautiful sky.
Just look at the time!
Let's look at the map first.
look at what you did.

Common mistakes by native language

Japanese speakers

Mistake: Pronouncing it as "RUKKU ATTO" with a clear gap and a fully released final t.

Why: Katakana English preserves each word with a supporting vowel and treats each syllable as separate.

Fix: Link the k of "look" directly to the vowel of "at", and the t of "at" flaps if a vowel follows: [ˈlʊkət]. Say "lookat" as one word.

Korean speakers

Mistake: Producing a glottal reset before "at" and full aspirated release on both k and t.

Why: Korean prosody often inserts a light glottal onset before word-initial vowels.

Fix: Let the k slide into the [æ] with no break: [ˈlʊkət]. If a vowel follows in the next phrase, the t becomes a flap: "look at it" = [ˈlʊkəɾɪt].

Spanish speakers

Mistake: Rounding the vowel in "look" toward Spanish [u], giving "LUK AT".

Why: The English [ʊ] vowel doesn't exist in Spanish; the closest is [u], which sounds too long and tense.

Fix: "Look" uses [ʊ] (short, lax, unrounded-ish), not [u:]. It rhymes with "foot" and "good", not with "pool" or "tool". Say [ˈlʊkət].

Similar phrase patterns

check it — consonant + vowel linking (flap-t follow-on): Same linking mechanism: [ˈtʃɛkɪt]. The final t of "it" flaps if the next word starts with a vowel.
pick it up — 3-word phrasal verb with flap-t: [ˈpɪkɪɾʌp]. "Look at" is the 2-word version of the same linking rhythm.
get it — flap-t between vowels: [ˈɡɛɾɪt]. The t of "get" is a full flap because it sits between two vowels within a single stress unit.

Practice sentences

Look at that beautiful sunset. (drawing attention)
Just look at yourself in the mirror. (reflective observation)
Look at all these files piled up. (expressing surprise)
She wouldn't even look at me. (narrative of rejection)
You should look at the fine print. (practical advice)

Notes

"Look at" is one of the most fundamental two-word phrases in English and a canonical example of consonant-to-vowel linking. The k of "look" slides directly into the [æ] of "at" with no pause, producing [ˈlʊkət]. When "at" is followed by another vowel (as in "look at it"), its t becomes a flap: [ˈlʊkəɾɪt]. The [ʊ] vowel in "look" is a common trouble spot — it is not [u:] (as in "pool"), not [ʌ] (as in "cup"), but a short lax vowel that native English speakers produce with barely any lip rounding. Getting the vowel right and the linking smooth transforms this beginner-level phrase into a natural-sounding one.