Nasal Assimilation

Level 4

In spoken Hungarian, the letter n (and sometimes m) changes its sound to blend into the next consonant. While the spelling stays the same, your tongue moves to the position of the next sound early to make speech smoother.

How It Works

Hungarian orthography is primarily phonemic, meaning letters represent distinct meaningful sounds. However, nasal place assimilation is a major allophonic exception where the spelling remains unchanged even though the pronunciation shifts for efficiency.

The rules for these sound changes are:

  • Before Bilabials (p, b, m): The n becomes an m. Example: színpad (stage) is pronounced [szímpad].
  • Before Labiodentals (f, v): Both n and m become a labiodental nasal [ɱ] (bottom lip touches top teeth). Example: különféle (various) or szemvidító (eyebright).
  • Before Velars (k, g): The n becomes a velar nasal [ŋ] (like 'ng' in 'sing'). Example: angol (English). Note that m does not change here.
  • Before Palatals (ty, gy, ny): The n becomes a palatal nasal [ɲ] (like the 'ny' sound). Example: konty (bun). Note that m does not change here.

This process is obligatory within a single word or when adding suffixes. It is optional but very common across word boundaries in natural speech (e.g., nagyon boldog → [nadjom boldog]).

Examples (5)

  1. színpad

    stage (pronounced: szímpad)

    The 'n' is followed by 'p' (a bilabial). To prepare for the 'p', the lips close early, turning the 'n' into an 'm' sound.

  2. angol

    English (pronounced: aŋgol)

    The 'n' is followed by 'g' (a velar). The back of the tongue hits the soft palate early, creating the 'ng' sound found in 'sing'.

  3. különféle

    various (pronounced: külöɱféle)

    The 'n' is followed by 'f'. The nasal sound is produced with the teeth on the lip, matching the 'f' position.

  4. A kertben vagyok.

    I am in the garden. (pronounced: kertbeɱ vagyok)

    Word by Word: The garden-in I-am.

    In the suffix -ben, the 'n' becomes a labiodental nasal [ɱ] because the next word starts with the labiodental 'v'.

  5. nagyon kevés

    very few (pronounced: nadjoŋ kevés)

    Word by Word: very few

    Across word boundaries, the 'n' in 'nagyon' shifts to a velar nasal because 'kevés' starts with 'k'.

Common Mistakes

  • Pronouncing the n of színpad as a separate n, as if the word were szín-pad.

    színpad [szín-pad]
    színpad [szímpad]

    Say szímpad, but write színpad. Before p and b, the n is pronounced as m. Hungarian spelling keeps the original root (szín + pad).

  • Changing the spelling in writing.

    szímpad
    színpad

    Even though we say 'm', we must write 'n'. Hungarian orthography preserves the original root (szín + pad).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Nasal AssimilationLevel 4

Learn This First

Nasal place assimilation is a phonological rule where the alveolar nasal 'n' changes its point of articulation to match a following consonant (becoming labiodental before 'f'/'v' or velar before 'k'/'g'). To understand this, learners should be familiar with the basic Hungarian sound system and the general concept of consonant assimilation.