Pronunciation · consonant
The /k/ sound — k as in key
In short
/k/ is a voiceless velar plosive — the consonant you hear in key, school, back. It is voiceless: only air, no vocal-cord vibration. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.
How to pronounce /k/
- 1Raise the back of your tongue to the soft palate.
- 2Block the air and release with a puff — no voice.
- 3Remember it hides in many spellings: c, k, ck, ch, qu.
/k/ in words — with audio
Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.
- key/kiː/ · sound is initial
- school/skuːl/ · sound is medial
- back/bæk/ · sound is final
- quick/kwɪk/ · sound is initial
- economy/ɪˈkɒnəmi/ · sound is medial
The mistake almost everyone makes
Weak aspiration so 'coat' sounds like 'goat', or dropping it in clusters like 'asked' /ɑːskt/.
Spellings of /k/
These letter patterns commonly spell /k/: k c ck ch qu. English spelling is unreliable — trust the IPA, not the letters.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce the /k/ sound?
Raise the back of your tongue to the soft palate. Block the air and release with a puff — no voice. Remember it hides in many spellings: c, k, ck, ch, qu.
What is the most common mistake with /k/?
Weak aspiration so 'coat' sounds like 'goat', or dropping it in clusters like 'asked' /ɑːskt/.
Which spellings make the /k/ sound?
Common spellings include “k”, “c”, “ck”, “ch”, “qu” — as in key /kiː/, school /skuːl/, back /bæk/.
Does /k/ matter for IELTS?
It is a polish-level sound: errors are audible but rarely stop a listener understanding you. IELTS scores intelligibility, not perfection — prioritise the contrasts that change word meaning.
Next step
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