Syllabic [n̩] and silent "k/g" before "n"

In some sources one can find a number of words in which the sequence [ən] is given another symbol, [n̩]. This stands for syllabic /n/, i.e. a nasal which does not need a vowel sound in order to form a full syllable. When teaching pronunciation, I prefer to spell it as a schwa sound [ə] followed by a [n] to keep things simple.

The letters "g" and "k" are often silent when followed by "n", in which case only /n/ is pronounced. 

To create the first exercise below I used Teflpedia and Reszkiewicz (1984: 74).

Ex. 1 Select the words which contain the syllabic version of /n/.

a. 'Music and passion are always the fashion...'

b. Listen to Mr Parson talking about education. It's an important lesson.

c. The train was safely driven to the Manchester Central Station.

d. The kitten ate a dozen fish.

e. If you want more information, press this button and ask a question; the machine will reply.

f. I saw a documentary about environmental pollution on television.

g. What would happen if you explained the reason why Jane left the party early? Would Jason be angry?

h. The papers wrote about weapons of mass destruction.

Ex. 2 Write the transcribed words which contain "gn" or "kn" using ordinary orthographic transcription.

a. /nɪt/, /nəʊ/, /niː/, /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/, /naɪt/, /niːl/

b. /næt/, /nɔː/, /saɪn/, /əˈlaɪn/, /reɪn/, /əˈsaɪn/, /məˈlaɪn/

KEY

1 a. passion, fashion, b. listen, Parson, education, lesson, c. driven, station, d. kitten, dozen, e. information, button, question, f. pollution, television, g. happen, reason, Jason, h. weapons, destruction

2. a. knit, know, knee, knowledge, knight, kneel b. gnat, gnaw, sign, align, reign, assign, malign

IPA Phonetic symbol [n̩]. Teflpedia. Accessed 25.05.2019.
https://teflpedia.com/IPA_phonetic_symbol_%E3%80%9An%CC%A9%E3%80%9B

Reszkiewicz, Alfred. 1984. Correct Your English Pronunciation. Warszawa: PWN.