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

/n/

LISTEN

listen_to_-n-.mp3
File Size: 160 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/n/.../n/.../n/.../n/...

nice...man...dinner...send

WHAT IS IT?

The sound /n/ is a voiced, alveolar, nasal consonant. 
  • Touch your alveolar ridge (gum ridge) with the tip of your tongue.
  • Let air flow out of your nose.
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.

The sound /n/ can be in these clusters:​
  • ​Beginning of a Syllable
  • ​End of a Syllable
<
>
n_initial_clusters.mp3
File Size: 19 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​/sn/ ("sn") - sn​ow
n_final_clusters.mp3
File Size: 331 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​/ln/ ("ln") - kiln
/lnz/ ("lns") - kilns
/rn/ ("rn") - barn
/rnz/ ("rns") - horns
/rnd/ ("rned") - mourned
/nt/ ("nt") - point
/nts/ ("nts") - rents

/ntʃ/ ("nch") - lunch
/ntʃt/ ("nched") - launched​
​/ndʒ/ ("nge") - strange
​
​/nz/ ("ns" / "nse", / "nes") - fans, cleanse, bones
/ns/ ("nce" / "nse") - chance, sense
/nθ/ ("nth") - seventh
/nθs/ ("nths") - tenths​
/nd/ ("nd" / "ned" / "nned")- send, loaned, planned
/ndz/ ("nds") - minds
​Spelling:
  • "n" - nice, pen
  • "nn" - planned, dinner
  • "kn" - know, knife
  • "gn" - sign, gnaw*
  • "gne" (not common) - champagne, cologne

*Note: Occasionally the spelling "gn" is pronounced /ny/, as in the words "vignette" and "poignant"

Grammar Tip:​
The sound /n/ is part of the suffix "-en." This suffix is used to mark some past participles in English. Past participles are used in perfect verbs or passive verbs.
grammar_-n-.mp3
File Size: 223 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

  • In perfect verbs: 
    • He has eaten.
    • We had spoken.
  • In passive verbs: 
    • ​The article was written. 
    • The window was broken.​​​
The sound /n/ is also part of several contractions.  A contraction is formed by combining two words. The contractions below end in the consonant cluster /nt/.
grammar_-n-_2.mp3
File Size: 215 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

  • will not = won't
  • do not = don't
  • could not = couldn't
  • cannot = can't

COMPARE

Compare /n/ with /ŋ/:
compare_n-ng_1.mp3
File Size: 110 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/n/.../ŋ/.../n/.../ŋ/.../n/.../ŋ/...

These are both nasal consonants. However, /n/ is an alveolar nasal while /
ŋ/ is a velar nasal. When you pronounce /n/, the tip of your tongue should touch the roof of your mouth and the back of your tongue should be low in your mouth. 
​
You can hear the difference between /n/ and /ŋ/ in these words.
compare_n-ng_words.mp3
File Size: 384 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. win, B. wing
2. A. sun, B. sung
3. A. tons, B. tongues
4. A. banned, B. banged
5. A. taken, B. taking
6. A. sinning, B. singing

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

Now compare /n/ and /l/:
compare_n-l_1.mp3
File Size: 117 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/n/.../l/.../n/.../l/.../n/.../l/...

These are both voiced alveolar consonants. However, /n/ is a nasal consonant while /l/ is a liquid consonant. To pronounce /n/, air should stop in your mouth but flow out of your nose.

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

compare_n-l_words.mp3
File Size: 387 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. night, B. light
2. A. news, B. lose
3. A. nine, B. line
4. A. win, B. will
5. A. tenor, B. teller​​​
6. A. spinning, B. spilling

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

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-n-.mp3
File Size: 608 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. nice
​2. number
3. snow
4. sneeze
5. snack
6. dinner
7. tunnel
​8. evening
9. center
10. mention
11. man
12. happen
13. mint
14. chance
15. strange
16. lun​ch
17. bones
18. launched
19. invention
20. nonsense

​Now practice /n/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-n-.mp3
File Size: 1185 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. complained - neighbors - noisy
He complained that his neighbors were too noisy.

2. inside - when - snowing
We should stay inside when it's snowing.

3. couldn't - find - journal
I could
n't find the right journal.
4. haven't - chance - finish
I haven't had a chance to finish.

5. lun​ch - fancy - restaurant
We had lunch at a fancy restaurant.

6. learned - anything - new - recently
Have you learned anything new recently?

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 items do you have in your kitchen?  (If you don't have a kitchen, what items do you use most for food preparation or eating?) 
​​
  • Sharp knives
  • Dinner plates
  • Sauce pans
  • Wooden spoons
  • Colander
  • Rolling pin
  • Apron​
  • Counter
  • ​Gas range
  • Toaster oven
  • Napkins
  • Measuring spoons
  • Oven mitt
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic containers
  • Cabinets
  • Sharp knives
  • Dinner plates
  • Sauce pans
  • Wooden spoons
  • Colander
  • Rolling pin
  • Apron​
  • Counter
  • ​Gas range
  • Toaster oven
  • Napkins
  • Measuring spoons
  • Oven mitt
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic containers
  • Cabinets
(If you don't know some of these words, look at the pictures at https://7esl.com/kitchen-vocabulary/ . )

​Record:
In your recording, describe the 5 items that are most important to have in your kitchen. Explain how you use each item.


©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