The word "karns" is spelled with a silent "k". This means that the "k" is not pronounced and serves only as a silent letter. The IPA phonetic transcription for "karns" is /kɑːnz/. The first sound, /k/, is a voiceless velar stop made by producing a closure in the back of the mouth with the tongue. The vowel sound, /ɑː/, is an open back unrounded vowel made by lowering the tongue and opening the mouth wide. The final sound, /nz/, is a voiced alveolar nasal made by vibrating the vocal cords and directing air through the nose.