Syllabic /m/

IPA phonetic symbol 〚m̩〛 IPA phonetic symbol 〚m̩〛 {{{1}}} The IPA phonetic symbol [m̩] (lowercase "m" with a small vertical line below) represents syllabic /m/, a syllable with no vowel, as in "rhythm" [ˈrɪðm̩] or "system" [ˈsɪstm̩]. In a broad notation [m̩] is /əm/ and most dictionaries prefer that notation: /ˈrɪðəm, ˈsɪstəm/.

Sometimes an underdot is used instead of a vertical line: ṃ.

[^əm] vs [əm]

Below we can see the pronunciation of /əm/ depending on the previous consonant according to the Cambridge Dictionaries Online (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, aka British English section, CALD). Most other dictionaries always use /əm/.

Consonant	Example	CALD
/θ/	rhythm	[ˈrɪð.əm]
/b/	album	[ˈæl.bəm]
/t/	system	[ˈsɪs.təm]
/d/	tandem	[ˈtæn.dəm]
/k/	modicum	[ˈmɒd.ɪ.kəm]
/g/	amalgam	[əˈmæl.ɡəm]
/l/	problem	[ˈprɒb.ləm]
/n/	venom	[ˈvenəm]

Temporary table
/f/	rifle, beautiful	[ˈraɪfl], [ˈbjuːtɪfl]	[ˈraɪfəl], [ˈbjuːtɪfʊl]	[ˈraɪfəl], [ˈbjuːtɪfəl]
/v/	travel	[ˈtrævl]	[ˈtrævəl]	[ˈtrævəl]
/s/	reversal	[rɪˈvɜːsl, rɪˈvɜːrsl]	[rɪˈvɜːsəl]	[rɪˈvɚsəl]
/z/	nasal	[ˈneɪzl]	[ˈneɪzəl]	[ˈneɪzəl]
/ʃ/	bushel, social	[ˈbʊʃl], [ˈsəʊʃl, ˈsoʊʃl]	[ˈbʊʃəl], [ˈsəʊʃəl]	[ˈbʊʃəl], [ˈsoʊʃəl]
/dʒ/	angel	[ˈeɪndʒl]	[ˈeɪndʒəl]	[ˈeɪnʤəl]
/tʃ	satchel, Rachel	[ˈsætʃəl], N/A	[ˈsætʃəl], [ˈreɪtʃəl]	[ˈsætʃəl], N/A
/r/	moral	[ˈmɒrəl, ˈmɔːrəl, ˈmɑːrəl]	[ˈmɒrəl]	[ˈmorəl]
/j/	filial	[ˈfɪliːəl, ˈfɪlɪəl]	[ˈfɪljəl]	[ˈfɪlijəl]
/w/	equal	[ˈiːkwəl]	[ˈiːkwəl]	[ˈiːkwəl]

Unicode and HTML

Vertical line m̩

Unicode: U+0329 Combining vertical line below

HTML: m̩ m̩

Dot below ṃ

Unicode: U+1E43 Latin small letter M with dot below

HTML: ṃ ṃ

See also

• IPA phonetic symbol [l̩]
• IPA phonetic symbol [n̩]
• IPA phoneme /ə/