The /ŋ/ Sound, Voiced Velar Nasal
/ŋ/
/ŋ/ is a voiced velar nasal. To make it, the back of the tongue touches the soft palate (the velum) and the soft palate is lowered, so the air flows out through the nose. It is voiced, so the vocal folds vibrate.
Often called the ng sound.
Example Words
| Word | UK | US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| sing | /sɪŋ/ | /sɪŋ/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| singer | /ˈsɪŋ.ə/ | /ˈsɪŋ.ɚ/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
| long | /lɒŋ/ | /lɔːŋ/ | Syllables · Pronounce |
Distinctive Features
/ŋ/ is told apart from every other English sound by two distinctive features.
Words With The /ŋ/ Sound
/ŋ/ In The Middle Of A Word
- ink
- bank
- bunk
- dunk
- junk
- kink
- link
- monk
- oink
- pink
- punk
- rank
- sink
- tank
- wink
- yank
- zinc
- anger
- angle
- angry
- ankle
- blank
- blink
- drank
- drink
- drunk
- flank
- frank
- ingot
- mango
/ŋ/ At The End Of A Word
- gang
- gong
- hang
- king
- long
- lung
- pang
- rang
- ring
- rung
- sang
- sing
- song
- sung
- wing
- zing
- along
- among
- being
- bring
- cling
- fling
- prong
- slang
- sling
- sting
- swing
- thing
- twang
- wring
Minimal Pairs
Questions Students Ask
Is /ŋ/ voiced or voiceless?
/ŋ/ is voiced.
What is the place of articulation of /ŋ/?
/ŋ/ is velar, which means the back of the tongue touches the soft palate (the velum).
What is the manner of articulation of /ŋ/?
/ŋ/ is a nasal, which means the soft palate is lowered, so the air flows out through the nose.
Which words have the /ŋ/ sound?
For example sing, singer, long.