How many consonant sounds are in the word "kittens"? - briefly
The word "kittens" contains five consonant sounds: /k/, /t/, /t/, /n/, and /s/.
How many consonant sounds are in the word "kittens"? - in detail
The word "kittens" contains five consonant sounds. To determine this, let's break down the word phonetically:
- /k/ as in "cat"
- /ɪ/ as in "sit" (a vowel sound)
- /t/ as in "ten"
- /ə/ as in "the" (a vowel sound)
- /n/ as in "no"
- /z/ as in "zoo"
Thus, the consonant sounds in the word "kittens" are: /k/, /t/, /n/, and /z/. Counting these gives us a total of four consonant sounds. However, it is important to note that the letter 's' in "kittens" does not produce a distinct consonant sound when followed by another consonant, as seen with the 'z' sound at the end. Therefore, considering the phonetic realization and the standard pronunciation of the word, there are four clear consonant sounds in "kittens".