English Online with Speak Method

500 Words Extra Practice: T before N and T after N

Use this reading passage to get extra practice on the T sounds that change when T is near N. Review these sounds with the 500 Words List.

T after N (silent) words are in bold. T before N (hard N sound) words are underlined.

Watch Video

Last winter, I needed to buy a new curtain for our front window which has a wonderful view of the mountains. Though the errand was important to me, I had forgotten to buy the curtain during several weekend shopping trips. At last I had written a note to myself, and soon I was on the interstate, heading to an outlet center on the edge of town. I found a store with many wonderful materials that could be used for everything from curtains to winter mittens. However, I could not find the shade of cream that I wanted. I went to the front counter and asked the clerk to check the store's other twenty locations on the internet to see if she could find that shade of cream. She listened to me with patience, but she said, "I don't know. That's certainly a tall order. Are you sure that you can recognize the color that you want online?" I had written a few sentences* about the cream I wanted. After she read them, she said, "All right. I'll enter this into the computer and see what happens." Soon she had a lengthy printout with several options I could find at the other stores. I travelled south and found exactly what I wanted. There were also some lovely garden ornaments, and I bought a small bird fountain for only thirty dollars.

* "sentence" has N on both sides of the T and can be pronounced either way.