How to Pronounce letter ‘n’

This pronunciation lesson is designed for 3-6-year-old children to help them pronounce the letter ‘n’ using its phonic sound.

Learning phonic sounds is important for children as this helps them read faster and more fluently. This is the first step in learning spelling and vocabulary.

In our previous video lesson, we learned about phonics, the importance of learning phonics, and the phonic sound of the letter ‘m’. This video lesson is the 14th in a row of learning the sound of letters. 

Why is it Important to Learn Through Phonetic Sounds?

 Teaching phonetics means breaking down more complex words into their individual parts. In this way, children develop the ability to decipher letters and sounds. This is an essential skill for learning new vocabulary while reading words.

Compared to children who focused on the meaning of new words, the methods of teaching phonetics were found to have a greater impact on the accuracy of reading and comprehension.

 Understanding phonics is not only important for the knowledge it gives to reading but also as it is a learning mechanism that imprints a word dictionary in the child’s mind. And this dictionary can be quickly accessed and is an excellent source of practice.

How to Pronounce the ‘n’ Sound?

The letter ‘n’ produces a sound from the Single Consonants group.

In order to produce the /n/ sound, place the tongue on the ridge behind the top teeth and blow air out from the nose. The sound is made through the nose rather than the mouth and it is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate while producing it. A few examples of the same are narrow, neck, net, etc.  

How to Introduce the Pronunciation of the ‘n’ to the Child?

1. Invite the child to the table and tell them, today we are going to learn the sound of the letter ‘n’ produces.
2. Show the child what the letter ‘n’ looks like and the sound of the letter ‘n’.
3. Say it several times by producing the /n/ sound as demonstrated in the video.
4. Ask the child to repeat the sound after you.
5. Show the child a picture or miniature of words starting with ‘n’ such as the net. 
6. Repeat the sound of the letter n every time while showing the image of the net. 
7. Now show another picture and again produce the letter ‘n’ sound.
8. Ask the child to pronounce the letter ‘n’.

Other Ways to Introduce the Letter n to the Child 

• Noodles: That’s a favorite of all kids. While the child may enjoy eating noodles, also tell them to focus on sounding n.
• Nest: Gather some twigs or small branches while having a ‘n’–nature walk with the child and form an artificial nest–focus on the sound of n each time while the child is making the nest.

• Number: There are many numbers plays that can be introduced to the child for focusing on the sound of the alphabet ‘n’ and also would be fun with numbers.

• Make Name Mobile: Use different shapes of construction paper. Punch a hole at the top and bottom of each shape. Help the children write “my name is” on both sides of the square. Help children write their names in other shapes. You can bend the paper clip into an ‘S’ shape and fit the pieces. Attach yarn to the top of the rectangle and hang it. 

• Napkin: Demonstrate the correct use of a napkin while eating. Have the children fold the white napkins in any way they like. Add one drop of food coloring to each napkin. Watch the colors mix. Carefully unroll the napkin to dry. Glue the corners to the construction paper. Cut out the frames and layer these “abstract paintings”. With color drops and folds speak a loud sound of n

• Night: Draw a picture of the night on black paper. You can stick to gold glue stars. While sticking the stars, focus on the pronunciation of n.

• Newspaper Drawings: Tape a large piece of newspaper to the children’s desks or floor and have the children draw – N’ pictures on the newspaper. Alternatively, you can cut letters out of a sponge and draw your name on a newspaper.

 This video allows the child to explore the short consonant sound of the English letter ‘N’ and learn words starting with it, such as a necklace, needle, and net. 

Watch the video to learn how the sounds of the letter ‘n’ are repeated for each word so that the child can hear and pronounce the words accurately.

Related Pronunciation Videos:

1. Pronunciation of the letter ‘j’
2. Pronunciation of the letter ‘g’
3. Pronunciation of the letter ‘e’
4. Pronunciation of the letter ‘o’

For more pronunciation and English language resources, click here. 

Video created by: Strykun Olena

FAQs

• What is the phonetic sound of n?

The phonetic sound of “n” is a voiced alveolar nasal sound. It is made with the tip of the tongue pressed against the ridge behind the upper teeth, the soft palate lowered, and the vocal cords vibrating.

• What is a silent n?

A silent ‘n’ is a letter ‘n’ in a word that is not pronounced. It often occurs when ‘n’ is followed by a consonant and a vowel, such as in the word “knife”.

• What are the two sounds of n?

The two sounds of the letter “n” in English are the voiced alveolar nasal sound (as in “nice”) and the voiceless alveolar nasal sound (as in “think”).

• Is the letter n voiced?

The letter “n” is a voiced consonant. This means that when pronouncing it, the vocal cords vibrate to produce sound.