/ŋ/ — choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic symbol

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word containing the sound /ŋ/. This is the "ng" sound, as at the end of sing.

Explain the concept: /ŋ/ is a velar nasal. The back of the tongue touches the soft palate and air passes through the nose. It is usually spelled:

• ng (as in sing, long, living)
• n before k or g sounds (as in think /θɪŋk/, finger /fɪŋɡə/)

Solution: check each option

• A. know is /nəʊ/. It has the /n/ sound (the k is silent). No /ŋ/.
• B. chance is /tʃɑːns/. The n is followed by /s/, so it stays as plain /n/. No /ŋ/.
• C. lean is /liːn/. It ends in plain /n/. No /ŋ/.
• D. living is /ˈlɪvɪŋ/. The "ng" at the end is pronounced /ŋ/. Yes.

Answer: D. living

Tip: Look for "ng" at the end of a word, as in -ing endings. In these words the "g" is not pronounced separately, and the "ng" makes one nasal sound. Be careful with words like chance or lean: they have "n", but it is not the /ŋ/ sound unless the n comes before a /k/ or /g/ sound (e.g., bank, angry).