LISTEN

/k/…/k/…/k/…/k/

kiss…cat…luck…broken

WHAT IS IT?

The sound /k/ is a voiceless, velar, stop consonant. ​​

• Touch your soft palate (the soft part of the roof of your mouth) with the back of your tongue.
• Move your tongue sharply downward and let air out in a short burst.
• Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

The sound /k/ can be in these consonant clusters:

Spelling:

• “k” /”ke”– king, lake
• “c” – can, economic
• “ch”/”che” – character, ache
• “ck” – luck, package
• “cc” – account, occasion
• “qu” (usually pronounced /kw/) / “que”– quality, technique 

Grammar Tip:
The sound /k/ is used in the common suffix “-ic”. This suffix appears in adjectives and usually means “of” or “relating to”.

• terrific
• classic
• dramatic
• athletic

(This suffix may also be in certain nouns, such as “traffic” or “music.”)

The sound /k/ is also used in the suffix “-ical,” which also appears in adjectives and usually has the same meaning as “-ic.”  However, “-ic” and “-ical” may mark words with different meaning. (For example, “economic” and “economical” have different meanings, and “comic” and “comical” also have different meanings.)

• comical
• medical
• musical
• typical

COMPARE

Compare /k/ and /g/.

/k/…/g/…/k/…/g/…/k/…/g/

These are both velar stop consonants. However, /k/ is a voiceless consonant while /g/ is a voiced consonant. When you pronounce /k/, your vocal cords should ​not vibrate.

You can hear the difference between /k/ and /g/ in these words.

1. A. could, B. good
2. A. class, B. glass
3. A. back, B. bag
4. A. fix, B. figs
5. A. locker, B. logger​
6. A. dankly, B. dangly

Practice recognizing words with /k/ and /g/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

​Now, compare /k/ and /h/:

/k/…/h/…/k/…/h/…/k/…/h/

These are both voiceless consonants pronounced in the back of the mouth.  However, /k/ is a velar stop and /h/ is a glottal fricative. The sound /k/ is pronounced with the back of your tongue, while /h/ is pronounced with the glottis, which is behind your tongue.

You can hear the difference between /k/ and /h/ in these words.

1. A. keep, B. heap
2. A. kit, B. hit
​​3. A. call, B. hall
4. A. come, B. hum
5. A. cook, B. hook
​6. A. racecourse, B. racehorse

Practice recognizing words with /k/ and /h/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words.

Now practice /k/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.

1. ​thank – kind – encouragement
Thank you for your kind encouragement.
2. can – park – covered
We can park in a covered garage.
3. exchange (“x” = /ks/) – cards – Christmas
They exchange cards and gifts for Christmas.
4. clean- kitchen – cook 
Please clean the kitchen after you cook.
5. stack – boxes (“x” = /ks/) – corner
Stack the boxes in the corner.
6. calculus – textbook (“x” = /ks/) – class
​I need a calculus textbook for my class.

​To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:

Male – US Midwest (St. Louis)

Male – US Midwest (Iowa)

Male – US Midwest

Female – US Northeast

Female – US Southeast

Prepare:
These are all common American breakfast foods. What would you like to order for breakfast?

(If you’re not sure what some of these are, see ​https://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/food/breakfast/breakfast-food-vocabulary.html)

Record:
Imagine you are ordering breakfast at an American restaurant for you and a friend. In your recording, order 2 foods and 2 drinks.

©2024, Christine Wingate

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