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------------------------------------------------ Write the phonetic symbol for the first sound in each of the following words according to the way you pronounce it:

a. pneumonia

b. civic

c. usual

The initial phonetic symbols for 'pneumonia', 'civic', and 'usual' are [n], [s], and [j] respectively according to the IPA standard for General American and Received Pronunciation English.

The phonetic symbols for the initial sounds of the given words according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) are as follows:

b: as in pneumonia [njuːˈmoʊniə]. The first sound is the nasal consonant [n].
s: as in civic ['sɪvɪk]. The first sound here is the voiceless alveolar sibilant [s].
j: as in usual ['juːʒuəl]. The first sound is the voiced palato-alveolar approximant [j].

It's important to note that phonetic symbols can differ depending on accent and dialect, but the above representations are standard for most General American and Received Pronunciation English.