/k/ — the /k/ sound
the /k/ sound
Consonants · Plosives
This sound hasn't been scored yet.

How to make it
Back of the tongue against the soft palate, then release. No voice.
Pairs with /g/ — same mouth shape, only the voicing differs.
Watch a native speaker say it
See the mouth and tongue before you record — hearing a sound rarely tells you where the tongue goes.
Rachel's English · English Sounds - G [g] and K [k] Consonants - How to make the G [g] and K [k] Consonants Watch on YouTube
More videos
Words with this sound
Tap the speaker to hear a native speaker say it.
act
/æk/
cow
/kaʊ/
ask
/æsk/
back
/bæk/
bake
/beɪk/
bike
/baɪk/
book
/bʊk/
cake
/keɪk/
call
/kɔːl/
can
/kæn/
car
/kɑɹ/
care
/ker/
Minimal pairs
Two words that differ by exactly one sound. Listen until you can tell them apart, then say them yourself.
- k
back
/bæk/
gbag
/bæɡ/
- k
act
/æk/
papp
/ˈap/
- k
cake
/keɪk/
bbake
/beɪk/
- k
act
/æk/
tat
/æt/
- k
act
/æk/
dadd
/æd/
- k
call
/kɔːl/
ffall
/fɔːl/
- k
can
/kæn/
vvan
/væn/
- k
back
/bæk/
θbath
/bæθ/
Test yourself on this sound
Read these 8 words in one recording. The AI scores every sound and tells you whether your /k/ came out right.