N (letter)

N is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It has two forms: 'N' (capital) and 'n' (lowercase). It typically represents an unvoiced sound pronounced through the nose (nasal), in which air passes through the nose rather than only through the mouth.

In the standard development of the Latin alphabet, N is the fourteenth letter, positioned between M and O. It is among the most frequently used letters in both European languages and Somali.

Sound

The typical sound of N is produced when the tip of the tongue touches the back of the upper teeth or the hard palate, while the nose remains open. In many languages, N changes its sound when followed by other letters: for example, before letters such as k or g it can become a velar nasal. In Somali, N appears at the beginning, middle, and end of words, as in 'nin' (man), 'sanka' (nose), and 'daan' (way).

History of the form

The form of N derives from the Phoenician letter known as 'nun', which originally represented the sound /n/. The Greeks created the letter nu (Ν, ν) from it, which in turn gave rise to the Latin N. The angular three-stroke form now recognized was maintained through Roman written practice.

Variations and marks

Some languages employ marks on the letter N. Spanish uses Ñ (n with a tilde) to represent a particular sound. Other languages use Ń, Ň, or Ņ. The combinations 'ng' and 'ny' are used to write distinct nasal sounds.

Use as a symbol

In mathematics and science, n is commonly used to denote an unspecified number or a quantity of items. In chemistry, N is the symbol for nitrogen. In statistics and counting, n represents the size of a sample.