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Syllabic /n/
IPA phonetic symbol 〚n̩〛 IPA phonetic symbol 〚n̩〛 {{{1}}} The IPA phonetic symbol [n̩][1] (lowercase "n" with a small vertical line below) represents syllabic /n/, a syllable with no vowel (syllabic consonant), as in "even" [ˈiːvn̩], "present" [ˈprezn̩t] or "person" [ˈpɜːsn̩]. In a broad notation [n̩] is /ən/: /ˈiːvən, ˈprezənt, ˈpɜrsən/. Some dictionaries write a small schwa as in /ˈiːvən, ˈprezənt, ˈpɜrsən/. Others write no vowel, and the reader has to deduct that /n/ is in a syllable with no vowels: /ˈiːvn, ˈpreznt, ˈpɜrsn/.
Common words
- action - button - certain - common - even - fashion - happen - human - information - listen - mountain - often - open - person - position - question - reason - situation - television - urban - version - weapon
[n̩] vs [ən]
Below we can see the pronunciation of /ən/ depending on the previous consonant according to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (OALD),[2] Collins Dictionary for British English (CD-BE),[3] and Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary (MWLD) for American English.[4] Note that OALD uses [n] instead of [n̩] or [ən].
| Consonant | Example | OALD | CD-BE | MWLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /t/ | kitten | [ˈkɪtn] | [ˈkɪtən] | [ˈkɪtn̩] |
| /d/ | burden | [ˈbɜːdn, ˈbɜːrdn] | [ˈbɜːdən] | [ˈbɚdn̩] |
| /s/ | loosen | [ˈluːsn] | [ˈluːsən] | [ˈluːsn̩] |
| /z/ | dozen | [ˈdʌzn] | [ˈdʌzən] | [ˈdʌzn̩] |
| /f/ | siphon | [ˈsaɪfn] | [ˈsaɪfən] | [ˈsaɪfən] |
| /v/ | driven | [ˈdrɪvn] | [ˈdrɪvən] | [ˈdrɪvən] |
| /ʃ/ | nation | [ˈneɪʃn] | [ˈneɪʃən] | [ˈneɪʃən] |
| /ʒ/ | vision | [ˈvɪʒn] | [ˈvɪʒən] | [ˈvɪʒən] |
| /p/ | happen | [ˈhæpən] | [ˈhæpən] | [ˈhæpən] |
| /b/ | urban | [ˈɜːbən, ˈɜːrbən] | [ˈɜːbən] | [ˈɚbən] |
| /k/ | bacon | [ˈbeɪkən] | [ˈbeɪkən] | [ˈbeɪkən] |
| /g/ | wagon | [ˈwæɡən] | [ˈwæɡən] | [ˈwægən] |
| /θ/ | lengthen | [ˈleŋθən] | [ˈlɛŋkθən, ˈlɛŋθən] | [ˈlɛŋθən] |
| /tʃ | question | [ˈkwestʃən] | [ˈkwɛstʃən] | [ˈkwɛstʃən] |
| /dʒ/ | hydrogen | [ˈhaɪdrədʒən] | [ˈhaɪdrɪdʒən] | [ˈhaɪdrəʤən] |
| /m/ | human | [ˈhjuːmən] | [ˈhjuːmən] | [ˈhjuːmən] |
| /n/ | cannon | [ˈkænən] | [ˈkænən] | [ˈkænən] |
| /l/ | pollen | [ˈpɒlən, ˈpɑːlən] | [ˈpɒlən] | [ˈpɑːlən] |
| /r/ | siren, apron | [ˈsaɪrən], [ˈeɪprən] | [ˈsaɪərən], [ˈeɪprən] | [ˈsaɪrən], [ˈeɪprən] |
| /j/ | civilian | [səˈvɪliːən, səˈvɪlɪən] | [sɪˈvɪljən] | [səˈvɪljən] |
Unicode and HTML
Unicode: U+0329 Combining vertical line below
HTML:
- Hexadecimal: n̩
- Decimal: n̩
Notes and references
- ↑ For technical reasons double brackets appear on the page title.
- ↑ Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
- ↑ Collins English Dictionary
- ↑ Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
