First practice the target sound /g/. Some of these words are from the phone messages you will hear. Read the words aloud or visit the website to practise.

/g/ is LOUD before a vowel and quite loud before /l/ and /r/.

groups of girls giggling and gossiping together

taking great photographs of a guy in the garden cutting the grass
Maggie isn't in Glasgow. Guess again.

She's gone to Portugal and Greece until August.

/g/ is often quieter at the end of a word or before a consonant.

This is an example.

Another example is fog. Also smog.

rugs  mugs   hugs  rugby a jog with a big dog  big dogs  a big pig   big pigs a frog   frog’s eggs  frog's legs Craig   Craig's big bag  Craig has jetlag.

What happens when the next word begins with a vowel? Is /g/ LOUDer or quieter?

big   dog      There's a big_old dog_in the garden.

fog   smog   Fog_and smog_are what we've got.

dialogue     Read the dialogue_aloud.

Greg   Craig  Greg_and Craig_and Maggie.

Notice how two /g/ sounds join together.

It's a big garden.  He’s a big guy.  Has the fog gone?

/k/ and /g/

Quickly scan all the words in the list below and write all those with the sound /k/.

computer  Maggie  postcard   Glasgow   beginning   games   weekend  Portugal  Greece  grass  catch   guess  cut  camp  August  girls  gossip  couple   Carol  garden   Craig