American English Sounds
  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors

/k/

LISTEN

listen_to_-k-.mp3
File Size: 143 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/k/.../k/.../k/.../k/...

kiss...cat...luck...broken

WHAT IS IT?

The sound /k/ is a voiceless, velar, stop consonant. ​​
  • Touch your soft palate (the soft part of the roof of your mouth) with the back of your tongue.
  • Move your tongue sharply downward and let air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

The sound /k/ can be in these consonant clusters:​
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
<
>
k_initial_clusters.mp3
File Size: 348 kb
File Type: mp3
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​/​kr/ ("kr," "cr," "chr") - krill, cry, Christmas
/kl/ ("kl," "cl") - klutz, clean
/sk/ ("sk," "sc") - skate, scare
​/skr/ ("scr") - scream

/kw/ ("qu") - queen, choir
/skw/ ("squ") - square
k_final_clusters.mp3
File Size: 766 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​/kt/ ("ked" / "ched" / "cked") - baked, ached, locked
/ks/ ("cs" / "ches" / "ques" / "cks") - specifics, aches, techniques, backs
​/sk/ ("sk") - task
/sks/ ("sks") - risks
/skt/ ("sked") - asked​​
/rk/ - ("rk" / "rc") - dark​, arc
/rks/  ("rk" / "rcs") - forks​​, arcs
​/rkt/ ("rked") - worked​
​
​​/lk/ ("lk") - milk
/lks/ ("lks")- hulks
/lkt/ ("lked") - balked

/ŋk/ ("nk" / "nc") - link, zinc
/
ŋks/ ("nks" / "ncs") - links, syncs
/
ŋkt/ ("nked") - thanked​​

Spelling:
  • "k" /"ke"- king, lake
  • "c" - can, economic
  • "ch"/"che" - character, ache
  • "ck" - luck, package
  • "cc" - account, occasion
  • "qu"  (usually pronounced /kw/) / "que"- quality, technique 

Grammar Tip:
The sound /k/ is used in the common suffix "-ic". This suffix appears in adjectives and usually means "of" or "relating to".
grammar_k.mp3
File Size: 178 kb
File Type: mp3
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  • terrific
  • classic
  • dramatic
  • athletic
The sound /k/ is also used in the suffix "-ical," which also appears in adjectives and usually has the same meaning as "-ic."  However, "-ic" and "-ical" may mark words with different meaning. (For example, "economic" and "economical" have different meanings, and "comic" and "comical" also have different meanings.)
grammar_k2.mp3
File Size: 171 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

  • comical
  • medical
  • musical
  • typical

COMPARE

Compare /k/ with /g/:
compare_k-g_1.mp3
File Size: 103 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/k/.../g/.../k/.../g/.../k/.../g/...

These are both velar stop consonants. However, /k/ is a voiceless consonant while /g/ is a voiced consonant. When you pronounce /k/, your vocal cords should ​not vibrate.

You can hear the difference between /k/ and /g/ in these words.

compare_k-g_words.mp3
File Size: 378 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. could, B. good
2. A. class, B. glass
3. A. back, B. bag
4. A. fix, B. figs
5. A. locker, B. logger​
6. A. dankly, B. dangly​

Practice recognizing words with /k/ and /g/ by taking the quiz below.

​Now, compare /k/ and /h/:
compare_k-h_1.mp3
File Size: 98 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/k/.../h/.../k/.../h/.../k/.../h/...

These are both voiceless consonants pronounced in the back of the mouth.  However, /k/ is a velar stop and /h/ is a glottal fricative. The sound /k/ is pronounced with the back of your tongue, while /h/ is pronounced with the glottis, which is behind your tongue.

You can hear the difference between /k/ and /h/ in these words.

compare_k-h_words.mp3
File Size: 383 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​1. A. call, B. hall
2. A. kit, B. hit
3. A. come, B. hum
4. A. cook, B. hook
5. A. keep, B. heap
​6. A. racecourse, B. racehorse​​

Practice recognizing words with /k/ and /h/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-k-.mp3
File Size: 550 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. kind
2. can
3. cry
4. clean
5. skate
6. screen
7. quote
8. q​uick
9. squeeze
10. 
luck
11. bark
12. milk
13. thanks
14. fi
x
15. baker
16. falcon
17. boxes
18. tickling
19. background
20. calculus

Now practice /k/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-k-.mp3
File Size: 1159 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. ​thank - kind - encouragement
Thank you for your kind encouragement.

2. can - park - covered
We can park in a covered garage.

3. exchange ("x" = /ks/) - cards - Christmas
They exchange cards and gifts for Christmas.

4. clean- kitchen - cook 
Please clean the kitchen after you cook.

5. stack - boxes ("x" = /ks/) - corner
Stack the boxes in the corner.

6. calculus - textbook ("x" = /ks/) - class
​I need a calculus textbook for my class.

​To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:
  • Male 1 (US Midwest - St Louis) - words, sentences
  • Male 2 (US Midwest - Iowa) - words, sentences
  • Male 3 (US Midwest) - words, sentences
  • Female 1 (US Northeast) - words, sentences
  • Female 2 (US Southeast) - words, sentences

USE IT!

​​Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

​Prepare:
These are all common American breakfast foods. What would you like to order for breakfast?
FOOD
  • Breakfast sandwich
  • Pancakes
  • Bacon and eggs
  • Steak and eggs
  • Bagel and cream cheese
  • Biscuits and gravy
  • Eggs Benedict
  • Cornmeal mush
  • Croissants
​DRINKS
  • Hot chocolate
  • Black coffee
  • Coffee with cream
  • Cranberry juice
  • Milk
FOOD
  • Breakfast sandwich
  • Pancakes
  • Bacon and eggs
  • Steak and eggs
  • Bagel and cream cheese
  • Biscuits and gravy
  • Eggs Benedict
  • Cornmeal mush
  • Croissantd

​​DRINKS
  • Hot chocolate
  • Black coffee
  • Coffee with cream
  • Cranberry juice
  • Milk
(If you’re not sure what some of these are, see  
​
https://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/food/breakfast/breakfast-food-vocabulary.html)
 
Record:

Imagine you are ordering breakfast at an American restaurant for you and a friend. In your recording, order 2 foods and 2 drinks.
 
©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors