Minimal Pair /n/ and /ŋ/

as in thin and thing

Below is a list of words that vary only by one having the sound /n/ and the other having the sound /ŋ/.

You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.

Both /n/ and /ŋ/ are pronounced with air coming through your nose, with you blocking the air in your mouth with the front of your tongue for /n/ and the back of your tongue for /ŋ/.

Elementary

thin thing

Pre-Intermediate

band banged

hand hanged

sin sing

sun sung

win wing

wind winged

Intermediate

done dung

fan fang

gone gong

kin king

ran rang

ton tongue

Upper-Intermediate

ban bang

banned banged

pan pang

pin ping

tin ting

Advanced

bonze bongs

bun bung

chin ching

clan clang

din ding

don dong

dun dung

hun hung

pond ponged

stun stung

tan tang

Alex Case, founder TeflTasticAlex Case is the author of TEFLtastic and the Teaching...: Interactive Classroom Activities series of business and exam skills e-books for teachers. He has been a teacher, teacher trainer, director of studies, and editor in Turkey, Thailand, Spain, Greece, Italy, UK, Korea and now Japan. He has published a book with Macmillan and hundreds of articles, reviews, lesson plans and worksheets with Onestopenglish, Modern English Teacher and many others. In addition to contributing articles and teaching ideas to Tefl.NET, Alex for many years edited Tefl.NET Book Reviews.

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