Pronunciation · consonant
The /n/ sound — n as in no
In short
/n/ is a alveolar nasal — the consonant you hear in no, funny, sun. 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 /n/
- 1Touch your tongue tip to the ridge behind your top teeth.
- 2Let the sound come through your nose with your voice on.
- 3Keep the tongue forward — not curled back or on the soft palate.
/n/ in words — with audio
Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.
- no/nəʊ/ · sound is initial
- funny/ˈfʌni/ · sound is medial
- sun/sʌn/ · sound is final
- opinion/əˈpɪnjən/ · sound is medial
- never/ˈnevə/ · sound is initial
The mistake almost everyone makes
Merging it with /ŋ/ before pauses so 'sun' sounds like 'sung', or with /l/ in some contexts.
Spellings of /n/
These letter patterns commonly spell /n/: n nn kn gn. English spelling is unreliable — trust the IPA, not the letters.
Don't confuse it with…
Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast — the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce the /n/ sound?
Touch your tongue tip to the ridge behind your top teeth. Let the sound come through your nose with your voice on. Keep the tongue forward — not curled back or on the soft palate.
What is the most common mistake with /n/?
Merging it with /ŋ/ before pauses so 'sun' sounds like 'sung', or with /l/ in some contexts.
Which spellings make the /n/ sound?
Common spellings include “n”, “nn”, “kn”, “gn” — as in no /nəʊ/, funny /ˈfʌni/, sun /sʌn/.
Does /n/ 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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