d. Aspiration Voiced stops (in English) are never aspirated. Voiceless stops are sometimes aspirated and sometimes not. These voiceless stops will be aspirated: a. Word-initial, regardless of stress: tap, cat, Topeka (stop precedes an unstressed vowel), command (ditto) [t h Qp] [k h Qt] [t h «pik«] [k h «mQnd] b. Intervocalic (between 2 vowels) but only when preceding a stressed vowel. meticulous, repair, recalcitrant, return