N (letter): Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Ro Thorpe
mNo edit summary
 
(50 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
''For other uses, see [[N (disambiguation)]].''
{{subpages}}
'''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''.


'''N''' is the fourteenth letter of the [[English alphabet]].  Its name can be written ''en'', as in ''en dash''.
==Use in English==
==Use in English==
N is pronounced in the position of t (as in tén) and d (as in dòes) tongue behind upper teeth, hummed. Examples (the accents show pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): nòne, noôn, nåughty, nîce, nô, nót, Nétherlands, níl, nought, nòthing, any, sâne, pâne ''window'' = pâin ''hurt, nāsty''.
{{: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: '''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 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'''.


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.
Silent '''n''' comes after '''m''' at the end of '''åutumn, hýmn, cólumn, dámn, condémn, sólemn'''.


It is doubled in the middle of words to keep the preceding vowel short: fúnny (cf. fún) ínner, wínning, dínner, Ánnie, Kénnedy, mánned, bánned.
==='''ng'''===
And also after the prefix un- - and here both n’s must be pronounced, that is to say, the n sound is lengthened: unnátural, unnécessary, unnêeded; and with a silent k in unknôwn.
'''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'''.


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.
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).  


Silent n comes at the end of åutumn, hýmn, cólumn, dámn, condémn, sólemn.
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'''.


Ng has its own sound, a hum in the back of the throat: síng, wíng, sínging, sóng, ríng, wróng, díng-dóng, báng.
==Scientific uses==
In this final position, the g is never pronounced separately (apart from in some English regional pronunciations) and this is true before a vowel in the middle of some words: sínger, wínger, wrónged, bánging, 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, as does dúngeon, *dúnjən.
But the g is pronounced (not as a j) separately in the middle of other words: fínger (*fíng-gə), English (*Íng-glish), ánger (BrE *áng-gə), ángry (*áng-gry).


This ng sound is also heard where n is followed by c, k, or x: úncle, ánkle, ánchor (*ángkə, cf. ánchovy, nch as -ntch-), ánxious, sínk, thínk, tánk, wínkle, ínkling, tínkle, ráncour.
*N: newton, unit of force
*n: neutron
*N: nucleon
*''N'': Avogadro's number[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

Latest revision as of 07:01, 23 September 2024

This article is developing and not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

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