Minimal pair · Mexican Spanish; starter contrasts also occur widely elsewhere
Spanish /n/ vs /ɲ/Medial n and ñ
Learn to hear the difference between n and ɲ in Spanish words.
Practice these sounds/n/
The final n category
Listen to the nasal consonant at the end, rather than a change in the preceding vowel.
As inmono
/ɲ/
The French gn category
Conventionally written /ɲ/. Its realization varies by speaker; the word ending is the listening target.
As inmoño
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Learn to hear the difference between n and ɲ in Spanish words.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordmono
/ˈmono/monkeycana
/ˈkana/gray hairpena
/ˈpena/sorrowcuna
/ˈkuna/cradleluna
/ˈluna/moonmoño
/ˈmoɲo/hair buncaña
/ˈkaɲa/canepeña
/ˈpeɲa/rock; cliffpiña
/ˈpiɲa/pineappleuña
/ˈuɲa/fingernail10 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.