we're going to learn how to make the NG consonant sound.

To make this sound, the jaw drops a little bit.

Ng-- The lips part and the back part of the tongue

stretches all the way up to the soft palate.

The tongue tip is forward.

Because the soft palate is lowered, air comes up through the nasal passages.

This makes it a nasal consonant.

You can feel the vibration in your nose.

Ng--

There are only 3 nasal sounds in American English.

Nn-- Ng-- Mm--

Let's study it up close and in slow motion.

A relaxed, lowered jaw.

Since this sound is made at the back of the mouth,

it's hard to get a clear picture of it.

The tongue lifts in the back while the tip stays down and forward.

The word 'ring'.

The tongue lifts in the back, while the tip stays down and forward.

Lips are relaxed.

The word 'along'.

Since the tongue is low for the vowel before, it's easier to see the tongue lift in the back.

And now, it's lifted in the back with relaxed lips.

The word 'finger'.

Again, the tongue lifts in the back while the tip stays down and forward.

This sound can occur in the middle or at the end of a word in American English,

but not at the beginning.

The NG consonant.

Ring.

Along.

Finger.

Example words.

Repeat with me.

Anger.

Ng-- Anger.

Song.

Ng-- Song.

Wing.

Ng-- Wing.

English.

Ng-- English. Single.

Ng-- Single.

Beginning.

Ng-- Beginning.

This video is one of 36 in a new series, The Sounds of American English.

Videos in this set will be released here on YouTube twice a month,

first and third Thursdays, in 2016 and 2017.

But the whole set can be all yours right now.

The real value of these videos is watching them as a set, as a whole,

to give your mind the time to take it all in and get the bigger picture.

Most of the materials you'll find elsewhere just teach the sounds on their own in isolation.

It's a mistake to learn them this way.

We learn the sounds to speak words and sentences, not just sounds.

Move closer to fluency in spoken English.

Buy the video set today!

Visit rachelsenglish.com/sounds

Available as a DVD or digital download.