/dʒ/ — From the words lettered A-D, choose the word that contains the sound represented by the given phonetic…

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that contains the sound /dʒ/. This is the "j" sound, as in judge or jam. It is a voiced affricate, a blend of /d/ and /ʒ/.

Explain the concept: In English, the letter g can be pronounced in different ways:

• hard /g/ as in gate and gutter
• soft /dʒ/ as in gender and giant
• /ʒ/ as in regime (the "zh" sound, like the s in measure)

Solution, word by word:

• A. regime is /reɪˈʒiːm/. The g here is /ʒ/, not /dʒ/. This is a common trap because it looks similar, but /ʒ/ lacks the "d" beginning.
• B. gutter is /ˈɡʌtə/. The g is the hard /g/ sound.
• C. gender is /ˈdʒendə/. It starts with /dʒ/, the "j" sound. ✔
• D. design is /dɪˈzaɪn/. The g is silent, and the s is pronounced /z/.

Correct answer: C. gender

Tip: Do not confuse /dʒ/ with /ʒ/. For /dʒ/, say "d" and "zh" quickly together, as in judge. For /ʒ/, there is no "d" at the start, as in vision, measure and regime. Also, g before e, i or y often sounds soft (/dʒ/), as in gender, giant and gym, though there are exceptions like get and give.