/ŋ/ is a voiced nasal consonant sound and that means the sound comes out the nose.
You make the /ŋ/ sound by releasing your jaw and bringing the back of your tongue onto the soft palate and creating a seal.
/ŋ/.
People sometimes confuse the /ŋ/ sound with the /n/ sound.
So the word "sung" can sound like "sun" or they can add a "g" into the middle, so a word like "singer" sounds like "sing-ger."
To help you find the placement of the /ŋ/, raise the back of your tongue up to the place where you make the /k/ or the /g/ sound, like this.
Keep the contact between the back of your tongue and the soft palate and send your voice over that. /ŋ/.
Great! Now, let's try a few words where the /ŋ/ is in the middle of the word, but make sure not to add a /g/ sound in there.
Bringing not bring-ging.
Belonging not belong-ging.
And swinging not swing-ging.
Now, let's try comparing the /ŋ/ sound with the /n/ sound at the ends of words.
Remember, that the back of the tongue must be like a ski slope and touching the soft palate.
The front of the tongue is relaxed, like this /ŋ/. Here we go.
King, kin.
Wing, win.
Rung, run.
Ping, pin.
Keep practicing on EnglishCentral and good luck!
