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  • The M consonant. This sound is simply made by pressing the lips together lightly, mm,

  • mm, while making a sound with the vocal cords, mm, mm. In speech, the teeth may begin to

  • part a little in preparation for the vowel in the word, mm, mm, Mom, map. Pulling the

  • lips a bit. Here we see the M consonant sound on the right compared with the mouth at rest.

  • You can see the lips press slightly together. Here, parts of the mouth are drawn in. The

  • M consonant sound is one of the few sounds in American English where the soft palate

  • remains down like the mouth at rest. This allows air to pass up over the soft palate,

  • which results in the sound feeling somewhat in the nose, which is why it is categorized

  • as a nasal consonant along with N and NG. Sample words: map, hammer, bottom. Sample

  • sentence: My mom might come tomorrow morning. Now you will see this sentence up close and

  • in slow motion, both straight on and from an angle, so you can really see how the mouth

  • moves making this sound. Lips press lightly together for the M in my, open into the 'ai'

  • as in 'buy' diphthong. Down again for the first M in mom, and for the second M in mom.

  • Might, with the 'ai' as in 'buy' diphthong. Back of the tongue makes the K sound, come.

  • Lips together for the M in come. Tomorrow, teeth closed for the T and the lips together

  • for the M. 'Oh' as in 'no' diphthong and together again for the M in morning. Tongue up to make

  • the N, and then the back of the tongue raises for the NG sound. Lips press lightly together

  • for the M in my. 'Ai' as in 'buy' diphthong, together again for the first M in mom and

  • for the second M in mom. Might with the 'ai' as in 'buy' diphthong. Back of the tongue

  • making the kk sound, come. Lips together for the M in come. Tomorrow. T sound, lips together

  • for the M. R consonant sound and the 'oh' as in 'no' diphthong. together again for the

  • M. Morning. Tongue up in the front for the N and then up further back for the NG. That's

  • it, and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.

The M consonant. This sound is simply made by pressing the lips together lightly, mm,

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