K sound in sanction

[anhnha]

Is the k sound in sanction really pronounced? I have listened to it many times but I can't recognize it.
sanction /ˈsæŋk.ʃən/ : sanction noun (ORDER) - definition in British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionary Online

[5jj]

It's there.

[BobK]

Compare it with 'mansion' or 'scansion'. What you may often not hear is release of the closure (which isn't always made).

b

[anhnha]

It's there.

I think it can't recognize it because the sound /ŋ/ has the same position as /k/ sound.
And, for example, there are two sounds that have the same position the one is put next the other like /gk/. How can I differentiate it from the case there is one sound?

[anhnha]

Compare it with 'mansion' or 'scansion'. What you may often not hear is release of the closure (which isn't always made).

Could you explain the phrase "release of the closure"?
I can detect the k sound in scansion. In mansion, I don't see the k sound!

[5jj]

Could you explain the phrase "release of the closure"?
I can detect the k sound in scansion. In mansion, I don't see the k sound!

When a native speaker says 'can', there is quite an explosive release of breath with the /k/. There is hardly any 'explosion' with the /k/ of 'scan' and none with th /k/ of 'sanction'. That's just the way it is - we don't do these things consciously.

With 'mansion' and 'scansion', Bob was comparing the (absence) of /k/ between /n/ and /ʃ/ with the (presence of ) /k/ in 'sanction'.

[Chicken Sandwich]

When a native speaker says 'can', there is quite an explosive release of breath with the /k/. There is hardly any 'explosion' with the /k/ of 'scan' and none with th /k/ of 'sanction'.

The same thing happens with 'spin' and 'pin'. There is a small puff of air - aspiration - that accompanies the p in 'pin' but not in 'spin'.