In this lesson, we will learn the pronunciation and spelling of words with a /g/ sound. This is also sometimes known as the pronunciation of hard <g>.
- In most cases, the sound /g/ is spelt with a single letter <g>.
got give leg peg
- /g/ is also sometimes spelt as double ‘g’ <gg> in words that are longer than one syllable.
bigger dagger giggle mugger
- The /g/ sound may also be spelt as <gu>.
guilt guitar guy guard
- The /g/ sound is also occasionally spelt as <gh> in foreign loan words.
ghost ghetto gherkin dinghy
How to Pronounce /g/ Articulation
The sounds /g/ and /k/ are learnt together as they are articulated in the same part of the mouth. To make these two sounds, the tongue blade makes contact with the soft palate.
Another way to describe how I make this sound is as follows:
I use the back of my tongue to touch the soft tissue at the back of my mouth. This is as far back as my tongue can comfortably bend. The back of my tongue is raised and bent, and the front of my tongue is low down behind my teeth. My tongue is tense as I briefly make contact with the back of the soft palate.
/g/ /k/ /g/ /k/ /g/ /k/ /g/ /k/
When making a /g/ sound:
- The tongue is flatter against the palate and there is more pressure.
- There are vibrations in this sound: /g/ is a voiced consonant.
When making a /k/ sound:
- The tongue is tenser and contact with the palate is a quick touch.
- There is also the sound of air being released: /k/ is an unvoiced consonant.
Practice Hard /g/ in Example Words and Phrases
gate: green garden gate
good: good as gold
gaga: granny’s going gaga
gregarious: gregarious Greg
aggressive: aggressive moggy
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