Digraph (2 letters, 1 sound)
The "ng" sound — /ng/
As in ring. Tap play to hear the sound, see the mouth shape, and learn 5 words to practice.
Mouth shape
Back of tongue, nasal sound
Gesture
Pretend to be a weightlifter and say ng-ng-ng
Example words
- ring
- sing
- king
- long
- song
How to teach the “ng” sound
- Hear it first. Tap Play three times. Have your child watch your mouth while you copy the sound — no letter name yet, just the pure sound /ng/.
- Do the gesture. Pretend to be a weightlifter and say ng-ng-ng— kids remember sounds 2× faster when there’s a physical action attached.
- Find it in words. Read the 5 example words aloud slowly, stretching the /ng/ sound: “r–i–n–g”.
- Spot it around the house. “Can you find something that starts with /ng/?” Aim for 3 wins in a row before stopping.
Get the full app — 15 phonics games, 43 native sounds
Free on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Works offline. No ads, no surprise paywalls.
ABC Phonics — Sounds for Kids