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Consonant
N Sound
The N sound is a voiced alveolar nasal consonant. Airflow is blocked by the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge (behind the top teeth) but escapes through the nose while the vocal cords vibrate.
Phonetic
nVoicing
Voiced (Placeholder)Place of Articulation
Alveolar (Placeholder)Manner of Articulation
Nasal (Placeholder)Mouth Position
Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper front teeth (alveolar ridge), creating a seal. Lower the soft palate (velum) to allow air to flow out through the nose. Vibrate your vocal cords.
How to Make This Sound
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Example Words
noMain Example
/noʊ/name
/neɪm/sun
/sʌn/now
/naʊ/fun
/fʌn/run
/rʌn/friend
/frɛnd/man
/mæn/ten
/tɛn/win
/wɪn/Pronunciation Practice
11 words
Speak the words aloud to get instant feedback on your pronunciation
Quick Practice
3-5 essential words
Full Practice
All 11 words
Minimal Pairs
Listen and compare similar sounds
n
nine
/naɪn/Compare with
N
line
/laɪn/n
net
/nɛt/Compare with
N
let
/lɛt/n
knee
/ni/Compare with
K
lee
/li/n
know
/noʊ/Compare with
K
low
/loʊ/n
run
/rʌn/Compare with
R
rung
/rʌŋ/n
sin
/sɪn/Compare with
S
sing
/sɪŋ/Tongue Twister
Practice: Consonant
“Nine nimble noblemen nibbled nuts nicely.”
Practice this tongue twister to improve your pronunciation