n
  | |
| Usage | 2023: Widespread (70% ↗ ) 2022: Common (68%) |
|---|---|
| Book and era | nimi ku suli (post-pu) |
| Part of speech | Particle |
| Codepoint | U+F1986 |
n is a word used as an interjection to represent any filler or hum, like "um", "mmm", or "hmm". It is often used to indicate being absorbed in thoughts, and sometimes recognition or agreement.
n is frequently written with multiple letters (e.g. "nnn...") to indicate a drawn out sound.
Pronunciation[edit | edit source]
The word n violates Toki Pona's phonotactics. Speakers may accept this because they consider it easy to pronounce, or not technically a word in the first place, but e.g. more like an onomatopoeia. n arguably does not have to be pronounced /n/ but can stand in for any hum or nasal sound, regardless of phonotactics.
Some compare the word n to the coda "n" sound (sometimes written as /N/ when analyzed as a separate phoneme from /n/), which can also be pronounced as several different nasal sounds depending on context. (For example, [änpä] and [ämpä] are both correct pronunciations of anpa (/aNpa/), and Sonko (/soNko/) is often pronounced [so̞ŋko̞].)