✨Creating an account only takes 20 seconds, and doesn’t require any personal info.
If you’ve got one already, please log in.🤝
Difference between revisions of “Voiced alveolar nasal”
(Lack of assimilation) |
m (Text replacement - ""." to ".”") |
||
| (32 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{IPA symbol|n|IPA phoneme /n/|noon /nuːn/}} | {{IPA symbol|n|IPA phoneme /n/|noon /nuːn/}} | ||
In English, both in [[Received Pronunciation]] and in [[General American]], the [[IPA]] [[phonetic symbol]] '''/n/''' corresponds to the initial [[consonant]] | In English, both in [[Received Pronunciation]] and in [[General American]], the [[IPA]] [[phonetic symbol]] '''/n/''' corresponds to the initial [[consonant sound]] in words like "nice" and "know" and the final one in "one" and “can.” | ||
==Common words== | ==Common words== | ||
Initial pronunciation of '''/n/''': | Initial pronunciation of '''/n/''': | ||
*knife - know - name - near - need - never - new - next - nice - night - note - nothing - now - number | *knee - knife - knock - know - name - near - need - never - new - next - nice - night - note - nothing - now - number | ||
Final pronunciation of '''/n/''': | Final pronunciation of '''/n/''': | ||
*again - begin - between - can - down - even - man - mean - own - question - run - then - turn - when - woman | *again - begin - between - can - down - even - happen - man - mean - own - question - run - then - turn - when - woman | ||
Middle pronunciation of '''/n/''': | Middle pronunciation of '''/n/''': | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
*as "nn": announce - annual - channel - connection - dinner - funny - manner | *as "nn": announce - annual - channel - connection - dinner - funny - manner | ||
==/ | ==/n.n/ vs /n/== | ||
*/ | */n.n/: meanness, unknown, unnatural, unnecessary | ||
*/n/: innovation | */n/: cannot, innate, innovation | ||
If a word cannot be separated in two components (such as mean-ness or can-not) then there is no doubt that the pronunciation is /n/. | |||
*announce, annual, connection, dinner, funny | |||
==Assimilation== | ==Assimilation== | ||
Before [[IPA phoneme /k/|/k/]] or [[IPA phoneme /g/|/g/]], /n/ can optionally be pronounced {{nw|[[IPA phoneme /ŋ/|[ŋ]]]}} as in an alternative pronunciation of ''income'' as {{ | Before [[IPA phoneme /k/|/k/]] or [[IPA phoneme /g/|/g/]], /n/ can optionally be pronounced {{nw|[[IPA phoneme /ŋ/|[ŋ]]]}} as in an alternative pronunciation of ''income'' as {{extraInformation|[ˈɪŋkʌm]|This pronunciation can be thought of as a realization of /ˈɪnkʌm/}}. There are no [[minimal pair]]s in which the difference is {{nw|/nk/}} and {{nw|/ŋk/,}} or {{nw|/ng/}} {{nw|and /ŋg/.}} | ||
In many words the combinations "nc", "nch", "nk" and "nq" represent /ŋk/, as in ''uncle, anchor, ink'' and ''banquet''. In many words "ng" represents /ŋg/ as in ''finger'' and ''kangaroo''. | |||
Before [[IPA phoneme /p/|/p/]] or [[IPA phoneme /b/|/b/]], /n/ can be pronounced [[IPA phoneme /m/|[m]]] as in an alternative pronunciation of ''input'' as {{extraInformation|[ˈɪmpʊt]|This pronunciation can be thought of as a realization of /ˈɪnpʊt/}}.<ref>[http://www.nativlang.com/linguistics/historical-sound-changes.php#h31 Historical Sound Changes - Assimilation]</ref> There are no [[minimal pair]]s in which the difference is /np/ and /mp/, or /nb/ and /mb/, however these two words are very similar: | |||
*impatient /ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/ - inpatient /ˈɪnpeɪʃənt/. | |||
Before [[IPA phoneme / | Before [[IPA phoneme /f/|/f/]] or [[IPA phoneme /v/|/v/]], /n/ and /m/ may be neutralized and pronounced [ɱ], a labiodental nasal.<ref>SLTinfo, [http://www.sltinfo.com/csp101-labialization/ Labialization]</ref> This explains common misspellings such as {{wrong+|comfirmation|Spelling is “confirmation" and pronunciation is [kɒɱfɚˈmeɪʃn̩]}}. | ||
Assimilation may occur across word boundaries: "in case" pronounced [ɪŋ ˈkeɪs] | Assimilation may occur across word boundaries: "in case" pronounced [ɪŋ ˈkeɪs], "in place" pronounced [ɪm ˈpleɪs] and "in front" pronounced [iɱ frʌnt]. | ||
===Lack of assimilation=== | ===Lack of assimilation=== | ||
| Line 29: | Line 37: | ||
*With "nc": conclude - conclusion - encourage - include - income - incorporate - increase - unclear | *With "nc": conclude - conclusion - encourage - include - income - incorporate - increase - unclear | ||
*With "nch": melancholic - melancholy | *With "nch": melancholic - melancholy | ||
*With "nk": mankind - painkiller - pancake - unkind | |||
*With "nq": enquire - inquire - unquestionable | *With "nq": enquire - inquire - unquestionable | ||
The following words are shown with /ng/ in most dictionaries. | |||
*congratulate, engage, engrave, ingrained, ingredient, sunglasses, ungrateful | |||
The following words are shown with /nb/ in most dictionaries. | |||
*bonbon, cranberry, rainbow, sunbathe, unbearable, unbelievable | |||
The following words are shown with /np/ in most dictionaries. | |||
*gunpowder, inpatient, input, unpack, unpleasant, unpopular | |||
==Anticipated pronunciation difficulties depending on L1== | ==Anticipated pronunciation difficulties depending on L1== | ||
| Line 35: | Line 53: | ||
===Spanish=== | ===Spanish=== | ||
Assimilation is normal in Spanish. Not only [ˈimput] as a Spanish word is more common than [ˈinput] | Assimilation is normal in Spanish. Not only [ˈimput] as a Spanish word is more common than [ˈinput], the latter can hardly be pronounced. | ||
=== Chinese === | |||
Southern Chinese often confuse /n/ with /l/. | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[Decoding the letter N]] | |||
*[[IPA phonetic symbol 〚n̩〛|IPA phonetic symbol <nowiki>[n̩]</nowiki>]] (syllabic /n/) | *[[IPA phonetic symbol 〚n̩〛|IPA phonetic symbol <nowiki>[n̩]</nowiki>]] (syllabic /n/) | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> {{index}} | ||
[[ | [[category:nasal consonants]] | ||
[[ | [[category:voiced consonants|Alveolar nasal]] | ||
Latest revision as of 13:34, 22 June 2023
Voiced alveolar nasal
In English, both in Received Pronunciation and in General American, the IPA phonetic symbol /n/ corresponds to the initial consonant sound in words like "nice" and "know" and the final one in "one" and “can.”
Common words[edit | edit source]
Initial pronunciation of /n/:
- knee - knife - knock - know - name - near - need - never - new - next - nice - night - note - nothing - now - number
Final pronunciation of /n/:
- again - begin - between - can - down - even - happen - man - mean - own - question - run - then - turn - when - woman
Middle pronunciation of /n/:
- as "n": company - country - end - enough - interest - many - money - understand
- as "nn": announce - annual - channel - connection - dinner - funny - manner
/n.n/ vs /n/[edit | edit source]
- /n.n/: meanness, unknown, unnatural, unnecessary
- /n/: cannot, innate, innovation
If a word cannot be separated in two components (such as mean-ness or can-not) then there is no doubt that the pronunciation is /n/.
- announce, annual, connection, dinner, funny
Assimilation[edit | edit source]
Before /k/ or /g/, /n/ can optionally be pronounced [ŋ] as in an alternative pronunciation of income as [ˈɪŋkʌm]. There are no minimal pairs in which the difference is /nk/ and /ŋk/, or /ng/ and /ŋg/.
In many words the combinations "nc", "nch", "nk" and "nq" represent /ŋk/, as in uncle, anchor, ink and banquet. In many words "ng" represents /ŋg/ as in finger and kangaroo.
Before /p/ or /b/, /n/ can be pronounced [m] as in an alternative pronunciation of input as [ˈɪmpʊt].[1] There are no minimal pairs in which the difference is /np/ and /mp/, or /nb/ and /mb/, however these two words are very similar:
- impatient /ɪmˈpeɪʃənt/ - inpatient /ˈɪnpeɪʃənt/.
Before /f/ or /v/, /n/ and /m/ may be neutralized and pronounced [ɱ], a labiodental nasal.[2] This explains common misspellings such as *comfirmation.
Assimilation may occur across word boundaries: "in case" pronounced [ɪŋ ˈkeɪs], "in place" pronounced [ɪm ˈpleɪs] and "in front" pronounced [iɱ frʌnt].
Lack of assimilation[edit | edit source]
The following words are shown with /nk/ in most dictionaries.
- With "nc": conclude - conclusion - encourage - include - income - incorporate - increase - unclear
- With "nch": melancholic - melancholy
- With "nk": mankind - painkiller - pancake - unkind
- With "nq": enquire - inquire - unquestionable
The following words are shown with /ng/ in most dictionaries.
- congratulate, engage, engrave, ingrained, ingredient, sunglasses, ungrateful
The following words are shown with /nb/ in most dictionaries.
- bonbon, cranberry, rainbow, sunbathe, unbearable, unbelievable
The following words are shown with /np/ in most dictionaries.
- gunpowder, inpatient, input, unpack, unpleasant, unpopular
Anticipated pronunciation difficulties depending on L1[edit | edit source]
Preconceived ideas and other interferences from L1 obviously interfere in many cases with how students perceive - and pronounce - sounds/words in English. The following section aims to point out some of the most typical difficulties teachers and students may encounter regarding pronunciation.
Spanish[edit | edit source]
Assimilation is normal in Spanish. Not only [ˈimput] as a Spanish word is more common than [ˈinput], the latter can hardly be pronounced.
Chinese[edit | edit source]
Southern Chinese often confuse /n/ with /l/.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Decoding the letter N
- IPA phonetic symbol [n̩] (syllabic /n/)
