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

Analyze the question: You need the word that contains the sound /ŋ/, the "ng" sound heard at the end of "sing". It is a single nasal sound made at the back of the mouth.

Explain the concept: /ŋ/ is usually spelled "ng" (as in king, long) or "n" before /k/ or /g/ (as in think, finger). The two letters "ng" often represent one sound, not an /n/ followed by a /g/.

Solution: check each word

• A. tongue is /tʌŋ/. The "ngue" ending is pronounced /ŋ/, and the "ue" is silent. ✔ It contains /ŋ/.
• B. gone is /gɒn/. The ending is the plain /n/ sound, because the "ng" letters are not together here, as the "n" is followed by a silent "e". ✘
• C. fan is /fæn/. It ends in the alveolar /n/. ✘
• D. wind is /wɪnd/ (the noun). The "n" is followed by "d", so it is /n/, not /ŋ/. ✘

Answer: A. tongue

Tip: Watch out for words that look like they have "ng" but do not, such as gone. Say the word aloud and feel where your tongue goes. For /ŋ/, the back of your tongue rises to touch the soft palate, and your tongue tip does not touch the ridge behind your teeth. For /n/ (as in fan, gone), the tip of your tongue taps the ridge behind your upper teeth. Also remember that "-ngue" words like tongue and meringue often carry /ŋ/ or /ŋg/ sounds.