N (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''N, n''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the fourteenth letter of most variants, being placed after [[M (letter)|M]] and before [[O (letter)|O]], as is the case for instance in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is pronounced [ˈen], ''en'', as in ''en dash''. | '''N, n''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the fourteenth letter of most variants, being placed after [[M (letter)|M]] and before [[O (letter)|O]], as is the case for instance in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is pronounced [ˈen], ''en'', as in ''en dash''. | ||
'''''[[Ñ]]''''' is used in some languages, e.g. [[Spanish language|Spanish]], where it is pronounced [ɲ], as in ''mañana''. | |||
==Use in English== | ==Use in English== | ||
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | {{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | ||
'''n''' is pronounced in the position of '''t''' (as in '''tén''') and '''d''' (as in '''dòes'''), tongue behind upper teeth, hummed | '''n''' is pronounced in the position of '''t''' (as in '''tén''') and '''d''' (as in '''dòes'''), tongue behind upper teeth, hummed: '''nòne, noôn, nåughty, nîce, nô, nót, Nétherlands, níl, nought, nòthing, any''' (pronounced *énny), '''sâne, pâne''' ''window'' = '''pâin''' ''hurt'', '''nāsty'''. | ||
{{:English spellings/Accents}} | |||
It may be preceded by a silent '''k''' at the beginning of a word: '''knôw, knót, knéll, knóll, knîfe, knêad''' ''dough'' (= '''nêed''' ''require'') or, initially or towards the end, by a silent '''g''': '''gnát, gnôme, gnû, rèign, sîgn, desîgn, colôgne, dèign'''. | It may be preceded by a silent '''k''' at the beginning of a word: '''knôw, knót, knéll, knóll, knîfe, knêad''' ''dough'' (= '''nêed''' ''require'') or, initially or towards the end, by a silent '''g''': '''gnát, gnôme, gnû, rèign, sîgn, desîgn, colôgne, dèign'''. | ||
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Silent '''n''' comes after '''m''' at the end of '''åutumn, hýmn, cólumn, dámn, condémn, sólemn'''. | Silent '''n''' comes after '''m''' at the end of '''åutumn, hýmn, cólumn, dámn, condémn, sólemn'''. | ||
'''ng''' has its own sound, [ŋ], a hum in the back of the throat: '''síng, wíng, sínging, sóng, ríng, wróng, díng-dóng, báng'''. | ==='''ng'''=== | ||
'''ng''' has its own sound, [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] [ŋ], a hum in the back of the throat: '''síng, wíng, sínging, sóng, ríng, wróng, díng-dóng, báng'''. | |||
In this final position, the '''g''' is never pronounced separately (outside some regional pronunciations) and this is true before a vowel in the middle of some words: '''sínger, wínger, wrónged, bánging, Bíngham, Búckingham'''; and in '''dínghy''' ''boat'' ('''díng'''- + silent '''h''', + -'''ŷ''', with or without hard '''g''') it is followed by an '''h''' to distinguish it from '''díngy''' ''dirty'', which has the '''j''' sound, *dínjy, as does '''dúngeon''', *dúnjən. | |||
But the '''g''' is pronounced (not as a '''j''') separately in the middle of other words: '''fínger''' (*fíng-gər), '''English''' (*Íng-glish), '''ánger''' (*áng-gər), '''ángry''' (*áng-gry). | |||
This '''ng''' sound is also heard where '''n''' is followed by '''c, k''', or '''x''': '''úncle, ánkle, ánchor''' (*ángkər, cf. '''ánchovy''', -'''nch'''- as -ntch-), '''ánxious, sínk, thínk, tánk, wínkle, ínkling, tínkle, ráncour'''. | |||
==Scientific uses== | |||
*N: newton, unit of force | |||
* | *n: neutron | ||
* | *N: nucleon | ||
* | *''N'': Avogadro's number | ||
* | |||
Latest revision as of 10:06, 16 May 2013
N, n is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the fourteenth letter of most variants, being placed after M and before O, as is the case for instance in the English alphabet. Its English name is pronounced [ˈen], en, as in en dash.
Ñ is used in some languages, e.g. Spanish, where it is pronounced [ɲ], as in mañana.
Use in English
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use in English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retroalphabetical list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common misspellings |
n is pronounced in the position of t (as in tén) and d (as in dòes), tongue behind upper teeth, hummed: nòne, noôn, nåughty, nîce, nô, nót, Nétherlands, níl, nought, nòthing, any (pronounced *énny), sâne, pâne window = pâin hurt, nāsty.
- The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.
It may be preceded by a silent k at the beginning of a word: knôw, knót, knéll, knóll, knîfe, knêad dough (= nêed require) or, initially or towards the end, by a silent g: gnát, gnôme, gnû, rèign, sîgn, desîgn, colôgne, dèign.
It is doubled in the middle of words to keep the preceding vowel short: fúnny (from fún), ínner, wínning, dínner, Ánnie, Kénnedy, mánned, bánned. Where an n follows the prefix un-, both n’s must be pronounced, that is to say, the sound is lengthened: unnátural, unnécessary, unnêeded; and with a silent k in unknôwn.
n begins consonant clusters: áncestor (-ns-), cóncrête (-ngk-), lúnch, ánchor (-nk-), úncle, énd, hándle, Ándrew, infŏrm, ínflâte, ínfra-réd, éngine, engâge, inhérent, thínk, ánkle, insîde, mónster, ínstrúct, bént, mántle, éntry, énvelope, jínx (-ks), ánxious (-nksh), anxîety (-ngz-), énzyme.
Silent n comes after m at the end of åutumn, hýmn, cólumn, dámn, condémn, sólemn.
ng
ng has its own sound, IPA [ŋ], a hum in the back of the throat: síng, wíng, sínging, sóng, ríng, wróng, díng-dóng, báng.
In this final position, the g is never pronounced separately (outside some regional pronunciations) and this is true before a vowel in the middle of some words: sínger, wínger, wrónged, bánging, Bíngham, Búckingham; and in dínghy boat (díng- + silent h, + -ŷ, with or without hard g) it is followed by an h to distinguish it from díngy dirty, which has the j sound, *dínjy, as does dúngeon, *dúnjən. But the g is pronounced (not as a j) separately in the middle of other words: fínger (*fíng-gər), English (*Íng-glish), ánger (*áng-gər), ángry (*áng-gry).
This ng sound is also heard where n is followed by c, k, or x: úncle, ánkle, ánchor (*ángkər, cf. ánchovy, -nch- as -ntch-), ánxious, sínk, thínk, tánk, wínkle, ínkling, tínkle, ráncour.
Scientific uses
- N: newton, unit of force
- n: neutron
- N: nucleon
- N: Avogadro's number