Ah, but I'm a non-native speaker, I am not constrained by what is possible for native speakers. I suspect my 'b' is quite close to 'p' (but it's not exactly the same).
It'll probably sound like an accent to you, but then there are a thousand different native speaker accents, so that is OK with me.
Re:Nobody Pronounces the 'B' in 'Debt'
by tsimionescu on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @11:17AM
(#29796466)
So how do you pronounce "kept" then?
I think _scatters_ meant “bt” that combination is difficult to produce without introducing an additional vowel. The “pt” is easier.
Re:Nobody Pronounces the 'B' in 'Debt'
by tsimionescu on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @12:59PM
(#29797724)
It's possible, but strange, since b is simply the voiced form of p - you just need to vibrate your vocal cords for a moment longer when pronouncing "kebt" (since they were already vibrating to pronounce the vowel), compared to pronouncing kept.
'pth' is different because the same stream of air can be used for both consonants, with the tongue contacting the teeth just as the lips open, so any gap between the consonants is not perceived to native listeners.