P (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''P''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[English alphabet]]. Its name is pronounced like the vegetable ''pea''. | '''P''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[English alphabet]]. Its name is pronounced like the vegetable ''pea''. | ||
==Use in English== | ==Use in English== | ||
P is an unvoiced bilabilal stop, an unvoiced b (compare pén and Bén), a popping sound with the lips in the same position as b and m (as in mén). Examples (the accents show pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): póp, pâper, plûral, pêople, pét, pépper, pénsion, ápt, flípped, câper, apàrt, stoôp, recoûp, groûp, bürp, hàrp, stóp, cóp, rôpe, hype, type. | P is an unvoiced bilabilal stop, an unvoiced b (compare pén and Bén), a popping sound with the lips in the same position as b and m (as in mén). Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): póp, pâper, plûral, pêople, pét, pépper, pénsion, ápt, flípped, câper, apàrt, stoôp, recoûp, groûp, bürp, hàrp, stóp, cóp, rôpe, hype, type. | ||
P begins consonant clusters: ápfelstrudel, Dáphnê (-fn), aphrodísiac (-fr-), plús, apnoêa, présent, Épsom, ápt. | P begins consonant clusters: ápfelstrudel, Dáphnê (-fn), aphrodísiac (-fr-), plús, apnoêa, présent, Épsom, ápt. | ||
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Before p, n becomes m: impŏrtant, cómpost, cf. -nf- in informâtion, confŏrm (which are often pronounced *ímformâtion, *comfŏrm). | Before p, n becomes m: impŏrtant, cómpost, cf. -nf- in informâtion, confŏrm (which are often pronounced *ímformâtion, *comfŏrm). | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[Letter (alphabet)]] | *[[Letter (alphabet)]] | ||
Revision as of 16:09, 20 December 2007
P is the sixteenth letter of the English alphabet. Its name is pronounced like the vegetable pea.
Use in English
P is an unvoiced bilabilal stop, an unvoiced b (compare pén and Bén), a popping sound with the lips in the same position as b and m (as in mén). Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see English phonemes): póp, pâper, plûral, pêople, pét, pépper, pénsion, ápt, flípped, câper, apàrt, stoôp, recoûp, groûp, bürp, hàrp, stóp, cóp, rôpe, hype, type.
P begins consonant clusters: ápfelstrudel, Dáphnê (-fn), aphrodísiac (-fr-), plús, apnoêa, présent, Épsom, ápt.
P is silent at the beginning of a word before n, s, t: pterodáctyl, pneumátic, pneumônia, pseûdonym, ptàrmigan, Ptómely and in recêipt, which rhymes with decêit.
It doubles only in the middle, to shorten the preceding vowel: hópping (cf. hópped, hôped), flóppy (cf. flóp), snápped, háppy, háppen, náppy, rípper, cúpped, stépping, and after an initial vowel as in appŏrtion, appŏointment, apprôach, applŷ, opportûnity, úpper.
Ph = f: Phílip, trôphy, phenómenon, grāph, apóstrophê, Philadélphia, phãraoh (-rô) but Stêphen = Stêven.
Before p, n becomes m: impŏrtant, cómpost, cf. -nf- in informâtion, confŏrm (which are often pronounced *ímformâtion, *comfŏrm).