The /n/ sound is a voiced nasal consonant sound.
And that means the sound comes out the nose.
You make the /n/ sound by releasing your jaw and bringing the blade of your tongue up toward your gum ridge and creating a seal.
It's extremely important that the back of your tongue and the soft palate are relaxed.
A common challenge with the /n/ sound is mixing it up with the /ŋ/ sound.
So a word like "Gone" can end up sounding like "Gong".
To help you find the correct placement of the /n/, let's take an easy yawn together like this.
Notice the back of the tongue relaxing and notice the space between the back of the tongue and the soft palate.
Now try the yawn again and this time when you finish,...
...breathe in through the mouth and feel the cool air across the tongue and the space between the back of the tongue and the soft palate.
Now, keep that space as you gently guide the blade of the tongue up for the /n/ sound.
/n/.
Let's try comparing the /n/ sound with the /ŋ/ sound at the ends of words.
Remember, the back of your tongue must be relaxed for the /n/ sound.
Here we go.
Sun, sung.
Ton, tongue.
Done, dung.
Thin, thing.
Look out for the /n/ sound as you practice on EnglishCentral and good luck!
