nasal nd

Rule Core

The nd nasal cluster combines n + d. The n supplies nasal resonance, while d is a light alveolar stop, often unreleased in fluent speech but always present in spelling.

Articulation Guide

Place the tongue tip on the alveolar ridge for /n/ with nasal airflow. Keep the tongue in place and briefly block the air to form /d/, usually with minimal release.

Word Analysis

• bends /bendz/: d is reduced before z.
• bind /baɪnd/: nd closes the long vowel smoothly.
• wand /wɒnd/: compact short vowel plus nd.

Pitfalls

Do not confuse nd with ng, and avoid dropping the written d.