The /m/ sound is made by closing your lips together, as in the word man, while the /n/ sound is made by touching your tongue to the ridge behind your upper teeth, as in nan. Mixing up these sounds can lead to misunderstandings—for example, mine and nine don’t mean the same thing!
How to Distinguish the /m/ vs. /n/ Sounds?
What Are /m/ and /n/?
| Feature | /m/ | /n/ |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Voiced bilabial nasal | Voiced alveolar nasal |
| Voicing | Voiced (vocal cords vibrate) | Voiced (vocal cords vibrate) |
| Airflow | Through the nose | Through the nose |
| Mouth Position | Lips together | Tongue against the alveolar ridge (the ridge behind your top front teeth) |
| Examples | man, make, mine | no, nine, net |
How to Pronounce /m/ and /n/
/m/
- Close your lips completely.
- Humming vibration in your lips.
- Try humming “mmmmmmm.”
Notice in the diagram how the teeth and lips meet for /m/.
Let’s listen together to the /m/ sound in “man.”
/n/
- Lips stay open.
- Touch your tongue to the ridge behind your upper teeth.
- Try humming “nnnnnnn.”
Look at the picture to see how wide your jaw should drop for /n/.
Let’s listen together to the /n/ sound in “no.”
Examples of /m/ and /n/
Here’s a list of common minimal pairs contrasting /m/ and /n/:
| /m/ Word | /n/ Word |
|---|---|
| mat | nat (proper noun, dialect) |
| moat | note |
| mall | gnaw (slightly different vowel, but often used in practice) |
| mare | near |
| met | net |
| main | name |
| mad | nad (dialectal) |
| might | night |
| mow | no |
| me | knee |
| mine | nine |
| moan | known |
| moose | noose |
| mare | near |
| mess | ness |
| morn | worn (note: vowel differs slightly) |
| mare | ne’er (poetic contraction) |
| mill | nil |
| miss | niss (rare) |
| mound | noun |
Example Sentences:
might / night
- I might go later.
- It was a dark night.
mine / nine
- This book is mine.
- I have nine pencils.
moan / known
- He let out a loud moan.
- She is well known here.
Pronunciation Tip:
-
For /m/, lips are closed.
-
For /n/, tongue touches behind the teeth.
-
Both sounds hum through your nose—try pinching your nose shut to feel the vibration!
Minimal Pairs /m/ and /n/ List
| /m/ Word (IPA) | /n/ Word (IPA) |
| mat /mæt/ | nat /næt/ (name) |
| main /meɪn/ | name /neɪm/ |
| might /maɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| mall /mɔːl/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| met /mɛt/ | net /nɛt/ |
| mare /meə/ | near /nɪə/ |
| mine /maɪn/ | nine /naɪn/ |
| moat /məʊt/ | note /nəʊt/ |
| moan /məʊn/ | known /nəʊn/ |
| moose /muːs/ | noose /nuːs/ |
| mess /mɛs/ | ness /nɛs/ |
| miss /mɪs/ | niss /nɪs/ (rare) |
| mound /maʊnd/ | noun /naʊn/ |
| maw /mɔː/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| mow /məʊ/ | no /nəʊ/ |
| mad /mæd/ | nad /næd/ (rare) |
| me /miː/ | knee /niː/ |
| mime /maɪm/ | nine /naɪn/ |
| man /mæn/ | nan /næn/ (nickname) |
| mood /muːd/ | nude /njuːd/ |
| mote /məʊt/ | note /nəʊt/ |
| meet /miːt/ | neat /niːt/ |
| moor /mʊə/ | newer /ˈnjuːə/ |
| mare /meə/ | near /nɪə/ |
| mask /mɑːsk/ | nask /nɑːsk/ (rare) |
| mat /mæt/ | gnat /næt/ |
| mill /mɪl/ | nil /nɪl/ |
| my /maɪ/ | nigh /naɪ/ |
| muck /mʌk/ | nook /nʊk/ |
| mall /mɔːl/ | gnarl /nɑːl/ |
| mole /məʊl/ | knoll /nəʊl/ |
| moat /məʊt/ | knot /nɒt/ |
| ma /mɑː/ | nah /nɑː/ |
| mere /mɪə/ | near /nɪə/ |
| made /meɪd/ | nade /neɪd/ (rare) |
| mend /mɛnd/ | nend /nɛnd/ (rare) |
| meal /miːl/ | kneel /niːl/ |
| mean /miːn/ | neon /ˈniːɒn/ |
| mall /mɔːl/ | null /nʌl/ |
| meek /miːk/ | neat /niːt/ |
| moor /mʊə/ | nor /nɔː/ |
| mire /maɪə/ | nigher /ˈnaɪə/ |
| muse /mjuːz/ | news /njuːz/ |
| mare /meə/ | ne’er /neə/ |
| moat /məʊt/ | note /nəʊt/ |
| mew /mjuː/ | new /njuː/ |
| mark /mɑːk/ | narc /nɑːk/ |
| mess /mɛs/ | ness /nɛs/ |
| male /meɪl/ | nail /neɪl/ |
| mound /maʊnd/ | noun /naʊn/ |
| mare /meə/ | near /nɪə/ |
| mare /meə/ | near /nɪə/ |
| mite /maɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
| mall /mɔːl/ | null /nʌl/ |
| mood /muːd/ | nude /njuːd/ |
| maw /mɔː/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| moan /məʊn/ | known /nəʊn/ |