1. I can swim very well.

2. I can't swim very well.

How can we distinguish 'can' from 'can't'? How do we pronounce 'can'?

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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/can

We can usually distinguish between can and can't because we emphasize CAN'T, making sure we pronounce the "t."

To distinguish between "can" and "can't," we rely on the use of contractions and the negation word "not."

1. "I can swim very well." In this sentence, the word "can" is used without the negation word "not." It indicates that the person possesses the ability to swim well.

2. "I can't swim very well." In this sentence, "can't" is a contraction of "cannot," where the word "not" is added after "can." It implies that the person does not possess the ability to swim well.

Depending on the accent or dialect, the pronunciation of "can" can vary slightly. In general, "can" is pronounced as /kæn/ with a short "a" sound, similar to the word "cat." It ends with an "n" sound.