Nasal Consonant: n sound /n/

Listen to the n sound

How to pronounce the n sound

To create the n sound, the air is blocked from leaving the mouth by pressing the tip against the tooth ridge and the sides of the front of the tongue against the side teeth. The soft palate drops, allowing air to pass out through the nose. The sound is voiced, so the vocal cords vibrate while producing it.

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Common n sound spellings

spelling	example		other pronunciations for spelling
n/nn	note banner twin		none
kn	know knock knee		none
gn[1]	gnome sign campaign		n sound+g sound

[1] gn spelling
When the gn spelling occurs at the beginning or end of a word it is usually pronounced as an n sound. In the middle of a word it is more likely to be pronounced as a g sound followed by an n sound (as in the words signal and ignore). Consult a dictionary for the correct pronunciation of individual words.

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The n sound in suffixes

spelling	example		other pronunciations for spelling
-tion/-sion	vision nutrition application		none
-ian	librarian magician comedian		none
-iant/-ient	ancient resilient radiant		none
-nomy	autonomy astronomy economy		none

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Non-phonetic n sound words

none

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Pronuncian Lessons

  

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Letter x Pronunciation: k+s or g+z

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