14 Finals with Nasals -n and -ng

By this point, you have no doubt discovered that most syllables in Chinese end in a vowel sound. There are only two consonant sounds that can complete a syllable. These are the two nasal sounds “n” and “ng.” In this lesson, we are going to focus on hearing the distinction between these two sounds

Let’s start by listening to a few examples.

Can you hear the difference between “n” and “ng?”

The “n” is similar to an “n” at the end of a word in English. Although there are two letters in “ng,” this spelling represents only one sound, a velar nasal sound pronounced at the back of the mouth. The pronunciation of this sound is similar to that of its English equivalent.

Here are some additional examples:

Listening Quiz

Dictation Quiz