Sounds of Letters Aren't Fixed

The Spanish n usually has approximately the same sound as the English "n," but when it comes before a b, v or p, it sounds more like the English "m." And when n comes before a g, it can sound like something else entirely — as in English, the tongue doesn't even touch the roof of the mouth. The process by which the sounds of letters change depending on the sounds around them is known as assimilation.