Nasal Sounds Escape Through the Nose
Nasal means of the nose. In phonetics it names sounds made by letting air out through the nose instead of the mouth.
Nasal means relating to the nose. In phonetics it names a class of sounds: English has three nasals — the m, n and ng — made by closing the mouth and letting air escape through the nose. That is why a blocked nose turns them into b, d and g, and *coming home* becomes *cobing hobe*. The Latin *nasus*, nose, also gives *nostril*, from Old English for nose-hole, and *nuzzle*.
- Of the nose. *The nasal passage.*
- A nasal sound. *M, n and ng are nasals.*
- Nasal voice. *A nasal tone.*
- Nostril — the opening. *A blocked nostril.*
- Latin — *nasus*, nose. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | nasal | Nasal spray. |
| Noun | nasal | A nasal consonant. |
| Adverb | nasally | Spoken nasally. |
| Related | nostril | A nostril. |
| Latin | nasus | Nose. |
- Use a nasal spray for congestion.Medicine.
- M and n are nasal consonants.Phonetics.
- A cold turns m into b.The mechanism.
The three English nasals
- m — lips closed, air through the nose
- n — tongue against the ridge behind the teeth
- ng — the back of the tongue against the soft palate, as in sing
- Block the nose and each becomes b, d and g
- Other languages have nasal vowels too, as French does
Medieval Latin *nasalis*, of the nose, from Latin *nasus*, nose, from an Indo-European root shared with English *nose*.
Why does a cold change how you sound?
The nasal consonants m, n and ng need air to escape through the nose. Blocked, they become b, d and g.
What is a nasal vowel?
A vowel produced with air escaping through the nose, common in French, as in the vowel of bon.