|
LISTEN |
![]()
|
/ŋ/.../ŋ/.../ŋ/.../ŋ/...
hang...long...strongly...things |
|
WHAT IS IT? |
Pronunciation:
The sound /ŋ/ is a velar, nasal consonant.
The sound /ŋ/ can appear in these consonant clusters:
The sound /ŋ/ is a velar, nasal consonant.
- Touch your soft palate (the soft part of the roof of your mouth) with the back of your tongue.
- Let air flow out of your nose.
- Your vocal cords should vibrate.
The sound /ŋ/ can appear in these consonant clusters:
-
Beginning of a Syllable
-
End of a Syllable
<
>
(none)
![]()
|
/ŋk/ ("nk" / "nc") - pink, function
/ŋks/ ("nks" / "nx") - sinks, lynx /ŋkt/ ("nked") - thanked /ŋz/ ("ngs") - things /ŋθ/ ("ngth") - length /ŋd/ ("nged") - hanged |
Spelling:
- "ng" - ring
- "n" (before /k/ or /g/) - pink, finger
Grammar Tip:
The sound /ŋ/ is part of the suffix "-ing." This suffix is used to mark several categories of words in English.
- Progressive verbs: I was sleeping. You are cooking.
- Gerunds: Sleeping is good. Writing is hard.
- Present participial adjectives: The movie was exciting. This class is boring.
|
COMPARE |
Compare /ŋ/ with /g/:
![]()
|
/ŋ/.../g/.../ŋ/.../g/.../ŋ/.../g/...
These are both voiced velar consonants. However, /g/ is a stop while /ŋ/ is a nasal. When you pronounce /ŋ/, air should flow out of your nose. |
You can hear the difference between /ŋ/ and /g/ in these words.
![]()
|
3. A. tang, B. tag
2. A. hung, B. hug 1. A. bang, B. bag 6. A. single, B. seagull 4. A. rings, B. rigs 5. A. longing, B. logging |
Practice recognizing words with /ŋ/ and /g/ by taking the quiz below.
Now, compare /ŋ/ and /n/:
![]()
|
/ŋ/.../n/.../ŋ/.../n/.../ŋ/.../n/...
These are both nasal consonants. However, /n/ is an alveolar nasal and /ŋ/ is a velar nasal. When you pronounce /ŋ/, the back of your tongue should touch the back of your mouth and the tip of your tongue should be low in your mouth.. |
You can hear the difference between /ŋ/ and // in these words.
![]()
|
1. A. long, B. lawn
3. A. things, B. thins 2. A. hanged, B. hand 6. A. forgiving, B. forgiven 4. A. singer, B. sinner 5. A. winging, B. winning |
Practice recognizing words with /ŋ/ and /n/ by taking the quiz below.
|
PRACTICE |
Listen and repeat these words:

words_with_-ng-.mp3 | |
File Size: | 543 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
1. long
2. sing 3. hang 4. young 5. things 6. drink 7. thanks 8. angry 9. single 10. length |
11. monkey
12. blanket 13. uncle 14. searching 15. wanting 16. conquest 17. language 18. meaningful 19. ingredient 20. belonging |
Now, practice /ŋ/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
![]()
|
1. young - engaged - ring
In America, a young engaged woman wears a ring.. 2. uncle - helping - hang My uncle is helping me hang curtains. 3. bring - missing - ingredient Can you bring the missing ingredient? 4. drink - something - evening I like to drink something hot in the evening. 5. king - strength - ruling A king needs strength for ruling well. 6. thinking - things - long I've been thinking about these things for a long time. |
To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:
|
USE IT! |
Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.
Prepare:
What kinds of little things make you angry? Choose from the list below.
Record:
In your recording, describe 3 things that make you angry and explain why they make you angry.
©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
Prepare:
What kinds of little things make you angry? Choose from the list below.
- Being hungry for too long
- Feeling powerless
- Thinking about injustice
- Someone singing aloud in public
- Hearing someone say your name the wrong way
- Someone telling you about the song stuck in their head
- Being blamed for something you didn't do
- Crying babies
- Someone taking the place that you wanted in a parking lot
- Arguing with your siblings (brothers and sisters)
- Failing
- Seeing someone be mean to another person
Record:
In your recording, describe 3 things that make you angry and explain why they make you angry.
©2018-2021, Christine Wingate

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.