a lot of
a lotta
/ə ˈlɑɾə/ReductionT sounds
In real speech
What happens to the sounds
of shrinks to /ə/, and the t between vowels becomes a flap T: a lot of → “a LOT-ta”.
When to use it
Everyday speech. In academic writing use many or a great deal of.
Casual → formal
Slang
a lotta
Neutral
a lot of
Formal
a great deal of / many
Sound notes
Reduction: unstressed words get squeezed, and their vowels turn into the neutral sound /ə/.