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)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /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: 156 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. sun, B. sung
2. A. win, B. wing
3. A. tons, B. tongues
4. A. taken, B. taking
​5. A. banned, B. banged
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: 156 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. news, B. lose
2. A. night, B. light
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.
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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)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /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