The /k/ as in KEY /k/

One of the most common consonants in American English. Hear it in key, cat, cup, call.

IPA /k/ Respell k Category Consonant
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The /k/ consonant, the key sound, is made by pressing the back of your tongue against the soft roof of your mouth to block the airflow. Depending on the word, that air is either released as a crisp burst or held back. A natural-sounding American /k/ leans hard on aspiration: at the start of a stressed syllable like cat, keep, or cold, you need a strong, sharp puff of air. Hold that puff back and the sound starts to feel muddy, or too close to a /g/. It's the same mouth shape as the /g/ in go, just without any vocal cord vibration.

How to make it

Three small adjustments.

Get them right and the sound takes care of itself.

Raise the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate (velum). Stop the air, then release.

Mouth position for /k/ in key

Mouth shape

/k/ as in key

Tongue

The back rises to contact the soft palate.

Lips

Slightly apart.

Quick tips

Two things to remember.

At the start of a stressed syllable, /k/ has a puff of air (aspiration).

/k/ pairs with /g/. Both use the exact same mouth position, but /g/ is voiced.

Hear it in words

16 everyday words.

Tap any word for its full breakdown — every reduction, every flap-T.

key
KEE
kit
KIHT
code
KOHD
core
KOR
come
KUHM
cause
KAHZ
crime
KRAHYM
clean
KLEEN
curve
KURV
book
BUUK
look
LUUK
walk
WAHK
pack
PAK
wake
WAYK
park
PARK
tech
TEHK
Hear it in sentences

In real conversation.

5 short sentences where this sound shows up. Tap to play; click the title for the full breakdown.

The cook kept the cake in the cool kitchen.

dhuh KUUK KEHPT dhuh KAYK ihn dhuh KOOL KIH·chuhn.

The quick kick broke the brick and the stick.

dhuh KWIHK KIHK BROHK dhuh BRIHK and dhuh STIHK.

The cook took a look at the good cookbook.

dhuh KUUK TUUK uh LUUK uht dhuh GUUD KUUK·buuk.

Keep the chemicals in the locked cabinet.

KEEP dhuh KEH·muh·kuhlz ihn dhuh LAHKT KA·buh·nuht.

According to the contract, cash is king.

uh·KOR·duhng tuh dhuh KAHN·trakt KASH ihz KIHNG.
Where this sound transforms

Connected-speech rules involving /k/.

Each rule has its own page with examples and practice tips.

Rule 11

Unreleased Stops

Air stops but there's no release burst — the articulators hold position.
FAQ

Common questions about /k/.

What is the difference between the /k/ and /g/ sounds?
The only difference is whether your vocal cords vibrate. Both sounds use the exact same mouth shape: the back of your tongue presses against the soft palate to block the air, then releases it. But /k/ in cup is voiceless, meaning your vocal cords do not vibrate. The /g/ in go is voiced, meaning your vocal cords buzz while you make the sound. If your /k/ sounds buzzy or too much like a /g/, you might be accidentally letting your vocal cords vibrate.
Why does the /k/ sound different in "cat" versus "skate"?
It comes down to a sharp puff of air called aspiration. At the start of a stressed syllable like cat or keep, Americans release the /k/ with a strong burst of air. But when /k/ comes right after an S, like in skate or sky, the puff disappears completely. Add a big puff of air to skate and it sounds unnatural; forget the puff in cat and Americans might mishear the word as gat.
Do I need to clearly pronounce the /k/ at the end of words like "back"?
Not always, because Americans often use an unreleased consonant at the end of words. In casual speech, if you say look down or backpack, the back of your tongue goes up to make the /k/ shape, but the air is never released. The final crisp pop just doesn't happen. Pronouncing a hard, popping /k/ at the end of every word sounds very textbook. Letting the tongue block the air without releasing it helps link your words the way Americans actually talk.

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