Rules and Examples for How to Pronounce -ng-

Rules and Examples for How to Pronounce -ng-

"ng" in a word can be pronounced -ng-, -ng-+-g-, -n-+-j-, or -ng-+-k-.  How do you know which one?

Ng: swing, swinger, swinging, ring, ringer, ringer, ringed, rang, rung, spring, sprang, sprung, springer, springy, springing, sting, stinging, stinger, string, stringing, stringy, hang, hanging, hanger, hangable, long, longness, long ago, fang, gang, gangster, king, pang, song, sing, sang, sung, singer, singing, tang, tango, tongs, tongue, tonguing, tongued, meringue, harangue, wing, wrong, wronger, wronging  (If a word ends in "ng" it is pronounced -ng-.  If a word ending in ng has a suffix, such as er, ing, ed, y, able) the pronunciation usually stays ng, and not ng+g)  exception:  longer, longest are pronounced ng+g.  Tongue, meringue, and harangue also end with the -ng- sound even though they contain "ngue"

Ng+g:  anger, anguish, finger, linger, angle, bangle, dangle, hunger, jungle, jingle, longer, longest, mangle, mingle, mongoose, kangaroo, flamingo, single, shingle, tangle, tingle, wrangle, bungalo, fungus, fungal, tango, strangle, bingo, Bengal, bungle, merengue, distingue (the syllable after the ng is not a suffix (but is part of the root) so you pronounce it ng+g)  exception:  longer, longest are pronounced ng+g

Either ng or ng+g: hangar, English, Singapore

N+j: angel, ginger, stingy, swinge, tinge, fringe, engine, lunge, singe, singer (that singes), tangent, tangible, manger, danger, ranger, stranger (nge#, nger#,ngen, ngible, and ngel are pronounced n+j)  # means the end of the word.

Either Ng+g or n+j: fungicide

Ng+k: stinker, funk, funky, junk, monk, monkey, tank, ankle, link, bank, extinct, function, uncle, sprinkle

Either Ng or Ng+k: function, extinct, angst, amongst