LoginThe Letter N
"N" is the fourteenth letter in the English alphabet. It is also a consonant.
Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.
Uppercase Form | N |
|---|---|
Lowercase | n |
Name | en (pronounced /ˈɛn/) |
Common Sounds | /n/, /Ø/ |
The Letter N: Sounds
The letter "n" only has two sounds:
Sound 1: /n/
"n" generally sounds /n/:
friend /fɹɛnd/
corn /kɔːrn/
number /ˈnʌmbər/
Sound 2: /Ø/
"mn" sounds /m/, the letter "n" is silent:
column /ˈkɑːləm/
hymn /hɪm/
autumn /ˈɔːtəm/
The Letter N: Multigraphs
The letter "n" can also appear in combinations with other letters (mainly consonants).
nn
"nn" sounds /n/:
penny /ˈpeni/
fennel /ˈfenl/
dinner /ˈdɪnər/
nk
"nk" after a vowel sounds /ŋ/:
bank /bæŋk/
bunk /bʌŋk/
tank /tæŋk/
pn
"pn" sounds /n/, in other words, "p" is silent:
pneumatic /nuːˈmætɪk/
pneumonia /nuːˈməʊniə/
ng
"ng" commonly has two sounds:
/ŋ/
/ng/
1. "ng" sounds /ŋ/:
ring /rɪŋ/
king /kɪŋ/
boomerang /ˈbuːməræŋ/
length /leŋkθ/
2. "ng" also sounds /ng/:
engulf /ɪnˈɡʌlf/
angle /ˈæŋɡəl/
finger /ˈfɪŋɡər/
ngh
"ngh" sounds /ŋ/; however, it also sounds /ŋɡ/:
dinghy /ˈdɪŋi/, /ˈdɪŋɡi/
gingham /ˈɡɪŋəm/
ngue
"ngue" sounds /ŋ/:
tongue /tʌŋ/
meringue /məˈræŋ/
gn
"gn" commonly has two sounds:
/n/
/gn/
1. "gn" sounds /n/, in other words, "g" is silent:
sign /saɪn/
gnat /næt/
gnome /noʊm/
foreigner /ˈfɔɹɪnɚ/
2. "gn" also sounds /gn/:
magnetic /mæɡˈnetɪk/
signature /ˈsɪɡnətʃər/
signal /ˈsinɡɑl/
Tip!
"gn" also sounds /nj/ in the word lasagna:
lasagna /ləˈzɑːnjə/
The Letter N: Uses
"N" is also used as:
An abbreviation of the word "noun"
An abbreviation of "north/ northern"
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