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A short L & N lesson

Light or night?

Hear the first sound, notice where the air goes, then put the two words together. You can finish this page without signing up or using a microphone.

Start the four steps Watch the example

Meaning anchors: light (brightness) · 光 guāng · 光 gwong1 night · 夜晚 yèwǎn · 夜晚 je6 maan5

Listen first

The difference begins before the vowel

Both sounds use the tongue near the ridge behind the upper teeth. The useful contrast is the air path.

L

light

/laɪt/

Audio: “Light. Light.” · synthetic voice

Try: touch the ridge with your tongue tip and let air continue around its sides.

N

night

/naɪt/

Audio: “Night. Night.” · synthetic voice

Try: close the mouth path with the tongue and let the opening sound pass through the nose.

Teaching model for L showing tongue contact and air moving around the sides
L is lateral. The model shows side airflow around the tongue.
Teaching model for N showing the mouth path closed and air moving through the nose
N is nasal. The model shows the oral path closed and the nasal path open.

These are teaching models of the target gestures, not images of your mouth.

Your turn

Four steps, one small contrast

  1. 1

    Listen with your eyes closed

    Play light, pause, then play night. Listen only for the very beginning.

  2. 2

    Feel where the air goes

    Say a long llll, then a long nnnn. For N, a light fingertip on the side of your nose may help you notice vibration.

  3. 3

    Build the pair slowly

    Say “light — night” three times. Then try: “a light at night” and “a night light.” Keep the first sound clear before speeding up.

  4. 4

    Try another pair

    In L & N, try line/nine or lock/knock. Start by listening. When you want to try speaking, record one word and compare your take with the model.

Keep practising, one pair at a time

Hear a short listening round, tap the words you heard, then check your answers. Or record a word and replay your own take beside the model.

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See the whole loop

A 19-second walkthrough

Read the spoken transcript

“The practice word is light.” “The practice word is night.” The remaining sequence uses music and on-screen demonstrations.

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Lesson notes

The articulation sequence follows the linked Pronunciation Snippets lesson. The audio, teaching models, and walkthrough on this page are L & N project assets.

Watch the original Pronunciation Snippets lesson · View this lesson’s source · Privacy