The Two Sounds of G

The Two Sounds of G The Two Sounds of G The Two Sounds of G By Maeve Maddox In Old English, the letter g represented four sounds. (Check out the etymological note in the OED for details.) I shall limit my remarks to the two sounds of g in modern English. Unlike the letter c, which is an alternate spelling for the sounds of k and s and has no sound of its own, the letter g does have one sound of its own: the â€Å"hard† sound heard in glove. The second sound of g, the â€Å"soft† sound heard in giant, represents the sound that belongs to the letter j [j]. ESL learners often ask if there’s a rule for knowing when the g represents the â€Å"hard† sound and when the â€Å"soft† sound. There are guidelines that help, but not all words conform to the guidelines. NOTE: In mastering English spelling, the sensible approach is to learn the general rules and then, using them as a point of reference, learn the exceptions. General Rules If the g is followed by e, i, or y, the pronunciation is â€Å"soft g: g+i: magic, margin, origin, engine g+e: page, generation, detergent, vengeance g+y: astrology Egyptian gym If the g is followed by any other letter (than e, i, y), the pronunciation is â€Å"hard g: gazebo glove gaze go grab gum If the g comes at the end of a word, the pronunciation is â€Å"hard g: pig mug wig zigzag jug Sometimes a u follows a g in order to keep it from bumping up against an i or an e: guess guest guild guile guilt Exceptions to the e, i, y Rule Hebrew names: Gideon, Gilead Words of Germanic origin: give, gift, get, gild, Gilbert, Gilda Scottish names: Gilchrist, Gillespie, Gilroy Gynecology Most English words that derive from the Greek word for woman [gyne] follow the rule for g followed by y and are pronounced with a â€Å"soft g, for example, misogynist: one who hates or is ill-disposed to women polygyny: a form of polygamy, marriage of a man to more than one woman at a time androgynous – having both male and female characteristics When the word gynaecology to describe the department of medical science that treats of the functions and diseases of women was coined in the19th century, it was pronounced with a â€Å"soft g. Some speakers still pronounce it that way, although the hard g has become the most common pronunciation in both British and American English. (The American spelling is gynecology) Related post: Womanly Words–Gyn Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictDawned vs. Donned30 Nautical Expressions