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The Spanish letter ñ, pronounced "enye," is a distinct character in the Spanish alphabet, representing a palatal nasal sound. It is derived from the letter 'n' and was originally written as an 'n' with a tilde (~) placed above it. This tilde was historically a miniature 'n' written above the original 'n', representing a doubled 'n' sound. Over time, this evolved into the modern tilde we see today.

The ñ is a fundamental part of the Spanish language, appearing in many common words such as "niño" (child), "mañana" (tomorrow/morning), and "español" (Spanish). Its presence is crucial for the correct pronunciation and meaning of these words. The letter is also used in other languages that have been influenced by Spanish, including Galician, Asturian, and some indigenous languages of Latin America.

In computing and digital communication, the ñ is supported by various character encoding standards like Unicode, ensuring its proper display across different platforms. Its inclusion is a testament to the linguistic heritage of the Spanish language and its global reach. The sound it represents is similar to the "ny" sound in the English word "canyon."