This is the "Sounds American" channel.

In this video we're going to talk about the American consonant sound /g/,

"as in the word "gift."

You can also hear this sound in words like

"good" - "dog"- "forget" or "egg."

We'll be using a special phonetic symbol - /g/ - for this sound.

The /g/ is one of six sounds in the stop consonants category.

We're pretty sure that everyone can pronounce a /g/ sound.

The problem is that the majority of the non-native English speakers

pronounce the American /g/ with a strong foreign accent.

Let's find out how to fix that.

We'll start with reviewing what we learned in the Stop Sounds Overview video.

The /g/ is made by stopping the air with the back of your tongue in your throat.

The /g/ is a voiced sound.

It has a voiceless counterpart,

the consonant sound /k/.

As with all stop consonants,

it's important to know when you should or shouldn't aspirate the /g/ sound.

The /g/ is pronounced with a small puff of air

at the beginning of words and syllables.

Note, however, that at the end of words,

the /g/ follows the final stop rule and is not aspirated.

Here are several examples:

If you aspirate the final /g/ sound,

you'll still be understood,

but you won't be speaking with an American accent.

These pronunciation rules are important,

but with the /g/ sound

it's sometimes more important not to confuse it with the /dʒ/ sound.

Unfortunately, this may happen to the best of us :).

Why?

Because these two sounds are both represented by the same letter 'G.'

The good news is that in written words the /g/ sound is always represented by the letter 'G'.

The news that's not so good

is that the letter 'G' doesn't always represent the sound /g/.

Confused?

Don't worry, just have a look.

Always check the letter after the 'G'.

That's how you'll know which sound to pronounce.

If the 'G' is followed by the letters 'a', 'o' or 'u',

pronounce the /g/ sound.

For example,

If the 'G' is followed by the letters 'i', 'e' or 'y',

pronounce the /dʒ/ sound.

For example,

What if the 'G' is followed by a consonant letter?

Well, then it's typically pronounced as /g/.

We say "typically," as there are some other options,

but we'll talk about them in our future videos.

Now let's go back to the /g/ sound and find out how to make it.

Slightly open your mouth and leave your lips in a neutral position.

Next you have to stop the air in your mouth.

This is how you do that:

Raise the back of your tongue toward your throat.

Stop the air with the back of your tongue

and then release it with a small puff.

The /g/ is a voiced sound,

so don't forget to add your voice: /g/.

Now, let's try saying it:

OK, it's time for our favorite part: the practice!

Let's start with the /g/ sound at the beginning of words.

Remember, the /g/ is aspirated in this position.

Just a reminder of how the practice works.

You'll see a word on the screen and hear its pronunciation.

Like this:

You'll have a few seconds to pronounce the word.

♪

Try to practice as many words as possible,

this is the most important part of your training.

Let's begin!

Let's pause here for a second and review the final stop rule.

Remember, stop sounds at the end of words are not aspirated.

That's what you'll practice with the next group of words.

Let's continue.

You're done!

Congratulations!

Let us know in the comments if you liked this video!

Don't forget to practice regularly,

and stay tuned on Sounds American.