LISTEN
listen_to_-j-.mp3
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/dʒ/.../dʒ/.../dʒ/.../dʒ/...

juice...edge...giraffe...major...

WHAT IS IT?
Pronunciation:
The consonant /dʒ/ is a voiced, alveo-palatal, affricate consonant.
  • Press the middle of your tongue between your alveolar ridge and your soft palate.
  • Quickly move your tongue downward while forcefully pushing air out.
  • The air in your mouth should stop before it is released. (It is like combining a /d/ with a /ʒ/.)
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.
 
The sound /dʒ/ can be in these consonant clusters:
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
<
>
(none)
j_final_clusters.mp3
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/ndʒ/ (“nge”) - change
/ldʒ/ (“lge”) - bulge
/rdʒ/ (“rge”) - large
/dʒd/ (“ged”) - edged
/ndʒd/ (“nged”) - hinged
/ldʒd/ (“lged”) - divulged
/rdʒd/ (“rged”) - charged

​Spelling:
  • "j" - jump, reject
  • "g"  - magic , gentle
  • "ge" - age, large
  • "dj" - adjacent, adjective
  • "dg" - badger,  gadg​et
  • "dge" - lodge, budge
  • “di” – soldier, cordial
  • “d” (+u) – graduate, education      

COMPARE
Compare /dʒ/ with /tʃ/:
compare_j-ch_1.mp3
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/dʒ/.../tʃ/.../dʒ/.../tʃ/.../dʒ/.../tʃ/...         

These are both alveo-palatal, affricate consonants. However, /dʒ/ is a voiced consonant and /tʃ/ is a voiceless ​consonant.
​
You can hear the difference between /dʒ/ and /tʃ/ in these words.
compare_j-ch_words.mp3
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1. A. joke, B. choke
2. A. jest, B. chest
3. A. badge, B. batch
4. A. lunge, B. lunch
5. A. ridges, B. riches
​6. A. surged, B. searched​
Practice recognizing words with /dʒ/ and /tʃ/ by taking the quiz below.

Now compare /dʒ/ and /d/:
compare_j-d_1.mp3
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/dʒ/.../d/..../dʒ/.../d/..../dʒ/.../d/....

​​These are both voiced consonants in a similar position. However, /dʒ/ is an alveo-palatal affricate, while /d/ is an alveolar stop. The sound /dʒ/ begins as a stop (with no air coming through the mouth) but then moves into a fricative (with some air released).

You can hear the difference between /dʒ/ and /d/ in these words.
compare_j-d_words.mp3
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1. A. jump, B. dump
2. A. jock, B. dock
​3. A. hedge, B. head
4. A. large, B. lard
5. A. raging, B. raiding
​6. A. adage, B. added

Practice recognizing words with /dʒ/ and /d/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE
Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-j-.mp3
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1. juice
2. jeans
3. jacket
4. Japan
5. gentle
6. jealous
7. justice
8. page
9. judge
10. range
11. merge
12. bandage
13. major
14. adjunct
15. packaging
16. managers
17. adjective
18. damaged
19. knowledgeable
20. judicial
​
Now, practice /dʒ/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-j-.mp3
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1. original – strategy – procedure
Our original strategy didn’t work, so we’re trying a new procedure.
2. graduated – college – languages
She graduated from college with a degree in Asian languages.
3. jar – jam – edge
A jar of jam fell off the edge of the counter.
4. manager – just - packages 
The manager just picked up the packages
5. vegetables – juice – fridge 
The vegetables and juice should be in the fridge.
6. imagine – jacket – July
​I can’t imagine why you’d need a jacket in July.​

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:​
​Look at this list of activities. Rank them from most dangerous to least dangerous.
  • Jumping on a trampoline
  • Sitting on the edge of a bridge
  • Catching a jellyfish
  • Riding a giraffe​​
  • Exploring a jungle
  • ​Walking outside in winter without a jacket
  • Making a friend feel jealous
  • Travelling alone in Japan
  • Catching a giant spider
  • Being a hostage
  • Jumping on a trampoline
  • Sitting on the edge of a bridge
  • Catching a jellyfish
  • Riding a giraffe​​
  • Exploring a jungle​
  • ​Walking outside in winter without a jacket
  • Making a friend feel jealous
  • Travelling alone in Japan
  • Catching a giant spider
  • Being a hostage

Record:
​​In your recording, describe which 2 activities are most dangerous and which 2 activities are least dangerous. Explain the reasons for your answers.

©2018-2021, Christine Wingate