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The ng sound /ŋ/

By Will SalisburyUpdated

The ng sound /ŋ/ is a single nasal consonant, as at the end of sing, long and thing. The back of your tongue touches the soft palate and the air goes through your nose. You do not say a separate g at the end of these words, but a few words in the middle, such as finger, do have /ŋg/.

1 · Read the problems2 · One lesson a day3 · Review your mistakes4 · Go round again

1 · Pronunciation

Hear it, see it, say it

IELTS tip. In the Speaking test, the -ing ending appears in almost every answer: living, working, studying, watching, going. If it becomes /n/ every time, your speech can sound less clear. Pick a Part 2 answer, underline each -ing word and read it aloud with the back of the tongue up to check the nasal sound.

How to make it

  1. Lift the back of your tongue so it touches the soft palate, at the back of your mouth.
  2. Let the air go through your nose with your voice on, and hold the sound for one count.
  3. Release the tongue without a /g/: the word ends on the nasal sound alone.
  4. For finger or angry, release into a clear /g/ after the nasal sound.

sing, thing, long, singer, finger, think, angry, hanger, morning

Quick answers

Do I say the g in sing?

No. In sing, the letters ng stand for one sound, /ŋ/. A separate g sound at the end is a common learner mistake.

Why is there a g in finger but not in singer?

Singer is made from sing plus the ending -er, so it keeps the same /ŋ/. Finger is not made that way, and the word has /ŋ/ followed by /g/.

How is the n in think pronounced?

It is pronounced /ŋ/, because the tongue is ready for the k at the back of the mouth. The word has /ŋ/ and then /k/.

Does it matter if I say running with n instead of ng?

In casual English, some speakers do say 'runnin', but in IELTS a clear /ŋ/ is safer because it is the standard form and is clearer to the listener.

Read the full lesson: The ng sound /ŋ/