N with long right leg facts for kids

N with long right leg (big letter: Ƞ, small letter: ƞ) is a special letter that isn't used much anymore. It was once part of the Latin alphabet (the alphabet we use for English!) and also the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which is a special alphabet for writing down sounds.

This unique letter is recognized by computers using special codes: Ƞ is called Error using : Input "0220" is not a hexadecimal value. and ƞ is Error using : Input "019E" is not a hexadecimal value..

Where Was This Letter Used?

In the Lakota Language

The letter Ƞ was used in the Lakota language to show when vowels were nasalized. This means the sound was made with air coming out of your nose, like when you say the 'n' in "nose" or the 'm' in "mouth."

This happened in the Lakota writing system from 1982. Later on, the Lakota language started using a different letter, called ⟨ŋ⟩, instead. This letter ⟨ŋ⟩ is more common and represents a similar sound, often called a velar nasal.

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a system where each symbol stands for a specific sound. It helps people from all over the world write down exactly how words are pronounced.

The letter ⟨ƞ⟩ was used in the IPA for a short time, from 1951 to 1976. It was meant to show a type of nasal sound that matched the next sound in a word. However, the IPA decided to remove it. This was because the letter didn't show a very specific sound. The IPA only uses symbols that have a clear and exact phonetic value.

Today, sometimes a capital N is used as a general placeholder for a nasal sound when the exact sound isn't specified.

Don't Get Confused!

The letter ⟨Ƞ⟩ might look a bit like other letters, but it's different!

• It's not the same as ⟨ŋ⟩, which is a common letter for a velar nasal sound (like the 'ng' in "sing").
• It's also not ⟨ɳ⟩, which is used in the IPA for a retroflex nasal sound. This sound is made by curling your tongue back in your mouth.
• The small letter ƞ also looks a lot like the small Greek letter eta, which is written as ⟨η⟩.

See also

In Spanish: Ƞ para niños