How to tell /n/ and /ŋ/ apart
Practice the difference between the alveolar nasal /n/ and the velar nasal /ŋ/.
/n/
Alveolar N
sin /sɪn/
A nasal sound made with the tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth.
Common mistake: Learners may replace /n/ with /ŋ/ at the end of words.
/ŋ/
Velar NG
sing /sɪŋ/
A nasal sound made with the back of the tongue against the soft palate.
Common mistake: Learners may add a hard /ɡ/ after /ŋ/ or replace it with /n/.
- •/n/ — the tongue tip touches the ridge: sin, thin, ran.
- •/ŋ/ — the back of the tongue rises: sing, thing, rang.
- •/ŋ/ is made at the back of the mouth.
- •Do not add a hard /ɡ/ after /ŋ/.
Minimal pairs
sin/sɪn/
sing/sɪŋ/
thin/θɪn/
thing/θɪŋ/
ran/ræn/
rang/ræŋ/