Lips
Keep your mouth slightly open and your lips relaxed. Unlike /m/, the lips do not close.
Other consonants
/n/as in no
Voiced nasal. Tongue on the ridge, air through the nose.
Example words: no, sun, ten, night, dinner
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /n/ sound?
Tongue
Press your tongue tip firmly against the ridge behind your top teeth. This seals the mouth so all the air goes through your nose.
Video lesson
Try it
- Open your mouth slightly.
- Press your tongue tip against the ridge behind your top teeth.
- Switch your voice on and hum through your nose: "nnn".
- Hold it for two seconds, then say: no, sun, ten.
Check
Hum "nnn" and pinch your nose. The sound should stop. Then say "sin" and "sing" and feel the difference: tip at the front for "sin", back of the tongue up for "sing".
Common trap
Do not confuse it with /ng/. For /n/ the tongue TIP touches the front ridge. If the back of your tongue rises instead, "sin" turns into "sing".
Practice: /n/
Words
nonˈoʊ
sunsˈʌn
tentˈɛn
nightnˈaɪt
dinnerdˈɪnəɹ
Sentences
No, the train leaves at nine.nˈoʊ, ðə tɹˈeɪn lˈivz æt nˈaɪn.
We had dinner at noon on Sunday.wˌi hæd dˈɪnəɹ æt nˈun ˌɔn sˈʌndˌeɪ.
Ten new students came in the morning.tˈɛn nˈu stˈudənts kˈeɪm ɪn ðə mˈɔɹnɪŋ.
The sun was nice and warm.ðə sˈʌn wʌz nˈaɪs ænd wˈɔɹm.
Nobody knows when the news begins.nˈoʊbˌɑdi nˈoʊz wˌɛn ðə nˈuz bəɡˈɪnz.
Words
nonˈəʊ
sunsˈʌn
tentˈɛn
nightnˈaɪt
dinnerdˈɪnə
Sentences
No, the train leaves at nine.nˈəʊ, ðə tɹˈeɪn lˈiːvz at nˈaɪn.
We had dinner at noon on Sunday.wˌiː had dˈɪnə at nˈuːn ˌɒn sˈʌndeɪ.
Ten new students came in the morning.tˈɛn njˈuː stjˈuːdnts kˈeɪm ɪn ðə mˈɔːnɪŋ.
The sun was nice and warm.ðə sˈʌn wɒz nˈaɪs and wˈɔːm.
Nobody knows when the news begins.nˈəʊbədi nˈəʊz wˌɛn ðə njˈuːz bɪɡˈɪnz.
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Sounds in the same group
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