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]].
'''''[[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. Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]]): '''nòne, noôn, nåughty, nîce, nô, nót, Nétherlands, níl, nought, nòthing, any''' (pronounced *énny), '''sâne, pâne''' ''window'' = '''pâin''' ''hurt'', '''nāsty'''.
'''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, [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] '''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 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, *dínjy, as does '''dúngeon''', *dúnjən.
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).  
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'''.
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==
==Scientific uses==
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*n: neutron
*n: neutron
*N: nucleon
*N: nucleon
*''N'': Avogadro's number
*''N'': Avogadro's number[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

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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 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