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

/m/

LISTEN

listen_to_-m-.mp3
File Size: 145 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/m/.../m/.../m/.../m/...

map...time...hammer...number...

WHAT IS IT?

Pronunciation:
The sound /m/ is a voiced, bilabial, nasal consonant. 
  • Press your lips together and breathe out through your nose.
  • Forcefully pull your lips apart and let air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.

​The sound /m/ can be in these clusters:
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
<
>
m_initial_clusters.mp3
File Size: 42 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/sm/ ("sm") - sm​ell
m_final_clusters.mp3
File Size: 897 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​​​​​​​/mz/ ("ms" / "mes") - rooms, homes 
/md/ ("med" / "mmed" / "mbed") - aimed, hummed, combed​
/lm/ ("lm") - film
/lmz/ ("lms") - helms
/lmd/ ("lmed") - filmed
/rm/ ("rm") - form

/rmz/ ("rms") - harms
/rmd/ ("rmed") - armed​
/zm/ ("sm") - realism
/zmz/ ("sms") - prisms
/ðm/ ("thm") - rhythm​
/mp/ ("mp") - lamp​​​
/mps/ ("mps") - camps
/mpt/ ("mpt" / "mped") - prompt, jumped  

/mpts/ ("mpts") - attempts
/mf/ ("mph") - triumph
/mfs/ ("mphs") - nymphs
/mpft/ ("mphed") - triumphed​​​​​
Spelling:
  • "m" - him, film
  • "me" - time, home
  • "mm" - summer, common
  • "mb" - dumb, lamb
  • "lm" - calm, palm
  • "mn" (not common) - hymn​

Grammar Tip:
The sound /m/ is used in the suffix "-ism." This suffix can be pronounced as one syllable (/ɪzm/) or two syllables (/ɪz-əm/). When "ism" is added, the stress of the word does not change.This suffix may be added to certain adjectives, nouns, or verbs. 
  • Adjective --> Noun: fatal --> fatalism, intellectual --> intellectualism
  • Noun --> Noun: tour --> tourism, alcohol --> alcoholism
  • Verb --> Noun: plagiarize --> plagiarism, criticize --> criticism​

COMPARE

Compare /m/ with /n/:
compare_m-n_1.mp3
File Size: 106 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/m/.../n/.../m/.../n/.../m/.../n/...

These are both voiced nasal consonants. However, /m/ is a bilabial consonant while /n/ is an alveolar consonant. When you pronounce /m/, your lips should touch each other.

​
You can recognize the difference between /m/ and /n/ in these words.
compare_m-n_words2.mp3
File Size: 174 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. met, B. net​
3. A. some, B. sun
​2. A. smack, B. snack
4. A. term, B. turn
​5. A. limes, B. lines
6. 
A. gaming, B. gaining

​Practice recognizing words with /m/ and /n/ by taking the quiz below.

Now, compare /m/ and /b/:
compare_m-b_1.mp3
File Size: 100 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/m/.../b/.../m/.../b/.../m/.../b/...

These are both voiced, bilabial consonants. However, /m/ is a nasal consonant and /b/ is a stop consonant. When you pronounce /m/, air should flow out of your nose.

You can hear the difference between /m/ and /n/ in these words.

compare_m-b_words.mp3
File Size: 176 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. mean, B. bean​
2. A. mom, B. bomb
3. A. hum, B. hub
5. A. rims, B. ribs
6. A. scamming, B. scabbing
4. A. unmeant, B. unbent


Practice recognizing words with /m/ and /b/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words.
words_with_-m-.mp3
File Size: 490 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. map
2. meal
3. mother
4. smell
5. time
6. rooms

7. claimed
8. film
9. arm
10. camp
11. prompt
12. triumph
13. hammer
14. harmful
15. tumble
16. simple
17. remember
18. spasm
19. criticism
20. environment

Now, practice /m/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-m-.mp3
File Size: 1172 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. family - moved - farm​ - ​His family just moved to a farm.
2. claimed - problem - simple -  The teacher claimed that the problem was simple.
3. animals - harmed - making - film - No animals were harmed in the making of this film.
4. smell - smoke - campfire - I smell smoke from a campfire.
5. criticism - harmful - improve - Criticism can be harmful, or it can help you improve.
​6. remember - mother's - number - Do you remember your mother's phone number?

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:
What do you think are the most important problems in your hometown?
​
  • ​Crime
  • Effects of climate change
  • Immigration
  • Racism
  • Unemployment
  • ​Economic development
  • Preserving a clean, natural environment
  • Homelessness
  • Disease epidemics
  • Transportation systems
  • ​Crime
  • Effects of climate change
  • Immigration
  • Racism
  • Unemployment​
  • ​Economic development
  • Preserving a clean, natural environment
  • Homelessness
  • Disease epidemics
  • Transportation systems

Record:
Choose the 2 problems that you think are most important for your hometown to solve. In your recording, explain why these problems are important and suggest a possible solution for each one.

©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • 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