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    Pronunciation · consonant

    The /m/ sound: m as in man

    In short

    /m/ is a bilabial nasal, the consonant you hear in man, summer, time. It is voiced: your vocal cords vibrate while you make it. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

    How to pronounce /m/

    1. 1Close your lips and let the sound come through your nose.
    2. 2Your voice is on; hum: mmm.
    3. 3Fully close the lips at the ends of words: time, home.

    /m/ in words, with audio

    Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

    • manmæn · sound is initial
    • summerˈsʌmə · sound is medial
    • timetaɪm · sound is final
    • moneyˈmʌni · sound is initial
    • familyˈfæməli · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Turning a final m into /n/ or /ŋ/ so 'some' sounds like 'sun' or 'sung'; watch for it before pauses.

    Spellings of /m/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /m/: m mm mb mn. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    Words that drill /m/

    Each has a full breakdown, audio in both accents and a recording drill. Practising a sound inside a real word transfers better than practising it alone.

    epitomeih-PIT-uh-meehegemonyhih-GEM-uh-neemischievousMIS-chiv-usanemoneuh-NEM-uh-neeparadigmPA-ruh-dymecomfortableKUMF-tuh-bultemperatureTEM-pruh-chuhcameraKAM-ruh

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /m/ sound?
    Close your lips and let the sound come through your nose. Your voice is on; hum: mmm. Fully close the lips at the ends of words: time, home.
    What is the most common mistake with /m/?
    Turning a final m into /n/ or /ŋ/ so 'some' sounds like 'sun' or 'sung'; watch for it before pauses.
    Which spellings make the /m/ sound?
    Common spellings include “m”, “mm”, “mb”, “mn”, as in man /mæn/, summer /ˈsʌmə/, time /taɪm/.
    Does /m/ 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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