IPA phoneme /ŋ/

In both Received Pronunciation and General American, the IPA phonetic symbol /ŋ/ corresponds to the final consonant sound in words like "sang", "sing", "song" and "sung" and, of course -ing forms. Not all words with "ng" have that /ŋ/: cf. angle and angel. On the other hand, it should be pointed out that /ŋ/ is often, but not always, followed by /g/ cf. singer vs single or long vs longer''.

/ŋ/ is spelled "n" when followed by a /k/ sound: ankle, function, inquest.

/ŋ/
/ŋ/ at the end of the word or followed by a vowel is always spelled "ng".
 * with /æ/: bang - gang - hang - hanger - hanging - rang - sang - slang
 * with /ɪ/: bring - evening - king - morning - ring - sing - singer - spring - sting - string - swing - thing - wing - wring
 * with /ɒ/ or with /ɔː/: along - belong - long - song - strong - wrong
 * with /ʌ/: among - lung - sung - tongue - young

/ŋg/
The spelling "ng" is sometimes pronounced /ŋg/.
 * with /æ/: anger - angle - angry - language - languid
 * with /ɪ/: English (also /ˈɪŋlɪʃ/) - finger - linger - single
 * with /ɒ/: Congo
 * with /ʌ/: Hungary - hunger - hungry

/ŋ/ - /ŋg/ alternation
In most words the root word and its derivatives sound similar: sing /sɪŋ/, singing /sɪŋɪŋ/.

Some particular words have "ng" pronounced /ŋ/ in the root and /ŋg/ in their derivatives: young /jʌŋ/, younger /jʌŋgər/.


 * long - longer, longest
 * strong - stronger, strongest
 * young - younger, youngest


 * diphthong - diphthongal
 * prolong - prolongation

/ŋk/
See also IPA phoneme /n/ § Assimilation.
 * "nk"
 * with /æ/: ankle - bank - blanket - drank - handkerchief /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/ - rank - sank - stank - tank - thank;
 * with /ɪ/: blink - drink - ink - link - pink - sink - sprinkler - stink - think - twinkle - rink - wink - wrinkle;
 * with /ɒ/: donkey
 * with /ʌ/: bunk - bunker - dunk - monkey - trunk
 * "nch"
 * anchor - synchronisation - synchronization
 * "nc"
 * concrete - distinction - function - junction - sanction - uncle;
 * "nx"
 * anxious - lynx - pharinx
 * "nq"
 * conquest - relinquish - tranquilizer - tranquilliser - tranquillizer
 * "ng"
 * length /leŋkθ, leŋθ/ - strength /streŋkθ, streŋθ/

/ŋz/

 * anxiety /æŋˈzaɪətɪ/

Homophones
See main article Homophone.


 * ring - wring

Anticipated pronunciation difficulties depending on L1
Preconceived ideas and other interferences from L1 obviously interfere in many cases with how students perceive - and pronounce - sounds/words in English. The following section aims to point out some of the most typical difficulties teachers and students may encounter regarding pronunciation.

Spanish
In Spanish there is [ŋ] but only before [x], [k], [g] or [w]. Many Spanish speakers cannot pronounce /ŋ/ between vowels, and they say singer as and singing as.