How to Pronounce English Alphabets - Part I: Consonants (G)

Introduction

There are more than 1, 50,000 English words in most of the frequently used dictionaries. It is impossible to pronounce these words without some basic rules. There are some words which are few but have same type of pronunciation. These words should be remembered. Consonant 'G' is one of the important consonants because it has several sounds and it is silent in many words. Further, the information reaches our brain by way of Look, Listen, Motion, Touch and Speech. The information which reaches our brain by ‘Look & Listen’ is long lasting. One should find a way to ‘Look & Listen’ the words at the same time.

By: Rattanji

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Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Tips & Warnings:

Write the words, which you feel are difficult to pronounce, in a notebook.
Every effort has been taken to correctly present the information. However there may be a mistake here and there.
Alphabet H... in next article.
Check when in doubt.

Step1

Alphabet G:
If ‘g’ is followed by a consonant, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Angle, Dogma, Grab, Igloo, Program.

Step2

Alphabet G (continued):
(a) If ‘gg’ is followed by a consonant, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Aggraded, Aggress, Boggle, Eggnog, Giggle, Jugglery.
(b) If ‘gg’ is followed by a vowel, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Baggage, Beggar, Digging, Druggist, Foggy, Groggy, Jigger, Luggage, Maggot, Mugger, Ziggurat.
(However there are some exceptions as in Veggie)

Step3

Summary Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘a’, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Arrogant, Brigade, Luggage, Gain, Sagacity.

Step4

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘o’, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Diagonal, Dragon, Good, Marigold, Vigorous.

Step5

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘u’, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in August, Figure, Fungus, Language, Tongue.

Step6

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘e’, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Anger, Burger, Eager, Fogey, Hunger.
(However there are some exceptions. See Step 9, 10)

Step7

Summary Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘i’ it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Begin, Fungi, Gift, Girl, Yogi.
(However there are some exceptions. See Step 11)

Step8

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is at the end of a word, it has hard ‘g’ sound as in Agog, Bag, Bang, Gang, Scanning, Smug, Swing, Twang.

Step9

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘e’, at the end of a word, it has mostly ‘j’ or soft ‘g’ sound as in Age, Badge, Cage, Change, Gauge, Knowledge, Page, Partridge.

Step10

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘e’, it has mostly ‘j’ or soft ‘g’ sound as in Algebra, Angel, Cage, Digest, Gem, Vegetable.

Step11

Summary Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘i’, it has mostly ‘j’ or soft ‘g’ sound as in Angina, Digit, Frigidly, Gin, Legible.

Step12

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by vowel ‘y’, in certain cases, it has ‘j’ or soft ‘g’
sound as in Cagy, Gym, Gypsy.

Step13

Alphabet G (continued):
‘g’ is silent in the words beginning with ‘gn’ as in Gnat, Gnash, Gnaw, Gnome, Gnostic.

Step14

Alphabet G (continued):
‘g’ is silent in the words ending with ‘gn’ as in Align, Benign, Design, Foreign, Malign, Reign, Sign.

Step15

Summary Alphabet G (continued):
‘g’ is silent in the words ending with ‘gm’ as in Apothegm, Diaphragm, Epiphragm, Paradigm, Phlegm.
(Only these words were found in the dictionary) (See Image)

Step16

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by ‘h’ and preceded by ‘au’ or ‘ou’ at the end of a word, ‘gh’ sounds ‘ff’ as in Chough, Cough, Enough, Laugh, Rough, Sough, Tough, Trough.
(Only these words and their derivatives were found in the dictionary)

Step17

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by ‘h’ and preceded by a vowel, ‘gh’ is mostly silent as in Dough, Eight, High, Sigh, Bough, Plough, Thorough, Waugh.

Step18

Summary Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by ‘ht’, ‘ght’ sounds ‘t’ (i.e. ‘gh’ is silent) in most of the words as in Bright, Eight, Height, Lighten, Naughty, Laughter. (See Image)

Step19

Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by ‘ht’ and preceded by ‘au’, ‘aught’ sounds ‘ot’ (i.e. ‘gh’ is silent) as in Distraught, Fraught, Naught, Onslaught, Taught, Untaught.
(Exceptions are Aught, Draught)
(Only these words were found in the dictionary)

Step20

Summary Alphabet G (continued):
If ‘g’ is followed by ‘ht’ and preceded by ‘ou’, ‘ought’ sounds ‘ot’ (i.e. ‘gh’ is silent) as in Aforethought, Afterthought, Besought, Bethought, Bought, Brought, Dreadnought, Drought, Forethought, Fought, Ought, Rethought, Sought, Thought, Unsought, Wrought.
(Only these words were found in the Dictionary) (See Image)

Step21

Summary:
[Step -- Combo -- Sound -- Word]
[1 -- g + Consonant -- hard -- Amongst]
[2 -- gg + Consonant -- hard g -- Aggress]
[2 -- gg + Vowel -- hard g -- Baggage]
[3 -- g + a -- hard g -- Arrogant]
[4 -- g + o -- hard g -- Diagonal]
[5 -- g + u -- hard g -- August]

Step22

Summary(continued):
[6 -- g + e -- hard g -- Anger]
[7 -- g + i -- hard g -- Finger]
[8 -- g (at end) -- hard g -- Agog]
[9 -- g + e (at end) -- j or soft g -- Badge]
[10 -- g + e -- j or soft g -- Algebra]

Step23

Summary (continued):
[11 -- g + i -- j or soft g -- Angina]
[12 -- g + y -- j or soft g -- Cagy]
[13 -- g + n (at beginning) -- silent g -- Gnat]
[14 -- g + n (at middle or end) -- silent g -- Align]
[15 -- g + m (at end) -- silent g -- Apothegm]

Step24

Summary (continued):
[16 -- au + g + h -- gh = f -- Laugh]
[16 -- ou + g + h -- gh = f -- Cough]
[17 -- Vowel + g + h -- silent gh -- Dough]
[18 -- g + h + t -- ght = t -- Bright]
[19 -- au + g + h + t -- aught = ot -- Naught]
[20 -- ou + g + h + t -- ought = ot -- Bought]