How do I make the velar nasal /ŋ/ sound?

Question

Can someone please explain how to pronounce the velar nasal sound (/ŋ/, as in English "ng", but that's why I'm asking). To restate the question: How do I pronounce /ŋ/? (Note: *This isn't a discussion forum*).

Answer 1

The velar nasal sound /ŋ/ (as in "sing" or "king") is produced by letting air flow through your nose while the back of your tongue presses against the soft palate (velum) at the back of your mouth. Here's how to produce it step by step:

Steps to Pronounce /ŋ/:

1. Start with an "n" sound:
2. Say the sound /n/ as in "net." Notice how your tongue touches the ridge just behind your upper teeth (the alveolar ridge) and how air flows through your nose.
3. Move your tongue back:
4. Instead of keeping your tongue at the front, move the back of your tongue up to touch the soft part of the roof of your mouth (the velum). This is the same tongue position you use for sounds like /k/ and /g/, but keep the airflow going through your nose.
5. Keep the sound nasal:
6. Make sure your soft palate stays lowered so air can escape through your nose, just like with /n/. If you block your nose while making the sound, it should stop completely.
7. Practice with familiar words:
8. Start by practicing words that naturally end with /ŋ/, such as:
9. "sing"
10. "long"
11. "king"
12. Notice that your tongue doesn’t move to the front for a hard "g" or "k" sound at the end—it stays at the velum.
13. Isolate the sound:
14. Once you're comfortable with /ŋ/ in words, try producing the sound on its own: say "ng" without adding a vowel (just /ŋ/).

Common Challenges:

1. Adding a "g" sound: Some people accidentally pronounce /ŋ/ as "ng-g" (like in "sing-guh"). Avoid this by focusing on stopping the sound without releasing the back of your tongue.
2. Confusing it with "n": Make sure the back of your tongue is engaged, not the front.

Quick Tip:

If you're having trouble, imagine you’re holding the position for the "g" in "go" but let the air flow through your nose instead of stopping it completely. This helps you find the velar position for /ŋ/.

With practice, you'll master the velar nasal sound in no time!

Answer 2

Physically speaking, what happens during that sound is the back of the tongue raises up to meet the velum (soft palate). Air escapes through the nasal passage and not the oral cavity during this time sound, hence the nasal sound. Your voice is on during the sound. Try to hold the back of the tongue up the the soft palate in the back and turn your voice on. You should feel a soft flow of air come out your nose. Release the tongue to create a release of air into the oral cavity to create the /g/ which happens at the end of the sound. Voice should be on for that part as well.