American English Sounds
  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors

/g/

LISTEN

listen_to_-g-.mp3
File Size: 174 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/g/.../g/.../g/.../g/...

gas...green...dog...ugly

WHAT IS IT?

The sound /g/ is a voiced, velar, stop consonant. ​
  • Touch your soft palate (the soft part of the roof of your mouth) with the back of your tongue.
  • Move your tongue sharply downward and let air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.

The sound /g/ can be in these consonant clusters:​
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
<
>
g_initial_clusters.mp3
File Size: 65 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/gl/ ("gl") - glass
/gr/ ("gr') - gr​ow
g_final_clusters.mp3
File Size: 125 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/gd/ ("gged") - hugged
/gz/ ("gs" / "gues" / "x") - dogs, rogues, ex​ample
Spelling:
  • "g" - grow, dog
  • "gg" - bigger, luggage
  • "gu" - guest, guess
  • "gue"  - vague​, rogue

COMPARE

Compare /g/ with /k/:
compare_g-k_1.mp3
File Size: 107 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/g/.../k/.../g/.../k/.../g/.../k/...

These are both velar, stop consonants. However, /g/ is a voiced consonant while /k/ is a voiceless consonant. When you pronounce /g/, your vocal cords should ​vibrate.

You can hear the difference between /g/ and /k/ in these words.

compare_g-k_words.mp3
File Size: 377 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. ​A. game, B. came
2. A. glue, B. clue
3. A. grow, B. crow
4. A. log, B. lack
5. A. tag, B. tack
6. A. anger, B. anch​or

Practice recognizing words with /g/ and /k/ by taking the quiz below.

Now, compare /g/ and /ŋ/:
compare_g-ng_1.mp3
File Size: 115 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/g/.../ŋ/.../g/.../ŋ/.../g/.../ŋ/...

These are both voiced, velar consonants. However, /ŋ/ is a nasal while /g/ is a stop. When you pronounce /g/, air should stop in your mouth and then be released.

You can hear the difference between /g/ and /ŋ/ in these words.
compare_g-ng_words.mp3
File Size: 388 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. wig, B. wing
2. A. sag, B. sang
3. A. lug, B. lung
4. A. tugs, B. tongues
​5. A. logged, B. l​onged
​6. A. straggle, B. strang​le

​Practice recognizing words with /g/ and 
/ŋ/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:
words_wtih_-g-.mp3
File Size: 575 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. guess
2. gain
3. gecko
4. glass
5. glow
6. green

7. beg​
8. vague
9. hugged
10. logs
11. again
12. argue
13. agree
14. ugly
15. ungrateful
16. struggle
​17. finger
18. organize
19. example
20. agriculture​  

Now, practice /g/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-g-.mp3
File Size: 1149 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

​1. get - good - grades
How can I get good grades?

2. grab - glasses - guests
Please grab two glasses for our guests.

3. going - great - goal
Going to college is a great goal.

4. grandma - gave - gloves
My grandma gave me her gloves.

5. angry - ignored - again
I'm angry that you ignored me again.

6. burglar - mugged - grocery
A burglar mugged me when I left the grocery store.

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:
  • Male 1 (US Midwest - St Louis) - words, sentences
  • Male 2 (US Midwest - Iowa) - words, sentences
  • Male 3 (US Midwest) - words, sentences
  • Female 1 (US Northeast) - words, sentences
  • Female 2 (US Southeast) - words, sentences

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 goals do you have for this year? Choose from the list below.
  • Stay organized
  • Get a dog
  • Find a bigger house or apartment
  • ​Get good grades
  • Grow food in a garden
  • Be grateful​​
  • Ignore rude people
  • Overcome anxiety​
  • Pass a big exam
  • Have good study habits
  • Stop being single
  • Avoid anger
  • Get along with family
  • Feel glad about life
  • Grow closer to someone
  • Improve your language skills
  • Give money to a charity that fights hunger​
  • Stay organized
  • Get a dog
  • Find a bigger house or apartment
  • ​Get good grades
  • Grow food in a garden
  • Be grateful​​
  • Ignore rude people
  • Overcome anxiety​
  • Pass a big exam​
  • Have good study habits
  • Stop being single
  • Avoid anger
  • Get along with family
  • Feel glad about life
  • Grow closer to someone
  • Improve your language skills
  • Give money to a charity that fights hunger​

Record:
In your recording, describe 3 goals you chose for this year. Explain what you will do to achieve each goal.

©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors