
The /ŋ/ sound is an essential part of American English pronunciation. It's a
unique sound that distinguishes words like "sing" and "long" from others like
"sin" and "loan." Mastering the /ŋ/ sound will greatly improve your overall
English pronunciation and help you communicate more clearly and effectively.

In this lesson, we will guide you through the process of pronouncing the /ŋ/
sound, providing instructions, useful resources, and practice tips to ensure
you get it right. Let's dive in!


Introduction


1. **Understand the sound**: The /ŋ/ sound is a voiced velar nasal consonant.
   It's produced with the back of the tongue pressed against the soft palate
   (velum) and the vocal cords vibrating. Unlike other nasal sounds like /m/
   and /n/, air escapes only through the nose, not the mouth.
2. **Position the tongue**: To make the /ŋ/ sound, raise the back of your
   tongue to touch the velum (the soft part at the back of the roof of your
   mouth). The tip of your tongue should be resting against the bottom front
   teeth or the lower gum ridge.
3. **Vibrate your vocal cords**: While keeping your tongue in position, allow
   your vocal cords to vibrate as you exhale through your nose. This will
   create the /ŋ/ sound.
4. **Practice with words**: Start by practicing the /ŋ/ sound in isolation,
   then move on to words that contain the sound, such as "sing," "long,"
   "thing," and "strong."


## Practice Tips
- **Avoid the /n/ sound**: One common mistake English learners make is
  pronouncing /ŋ/ as /n/. Remember that /ŋ/ is produced with the back of the
  tongue against the velum, while /n/ is produced with the front of the tongue
  against the alveolar ridge (the bumpy area behind your upper front teeth).
- **Pay attention to spelling**: The /ŋ/ sound is often represented by the
  letters 'ng' in English, but not always. For example, in words like "finger"
  and "hunger," the 'ng' combination represents two separate sounds: /ŋ/
  followed by /g/. Be aware of these exceptions as you practice.

With dedication and consistent practice, you'll soon be able to confidently
pronounce the /ŋ/ sound in American English. Keep up the good work, and happy
learning!