Appendix:English words where G is pronounced exceptionally

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The following English words contain the letter "g" pronounced in a way which is an exception to the rules: the soft "g" (pronounced as /dʒ/) occurs when a single "g" comes before the letters "e", "i" or "y", and the hard "g" (pronounced as /g/) occurs elsewhere, or with double "gg".

Hard G before E, I or Y

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NG with hard G before E, I or Y

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When a suffix starting with "e", "i" or "y" is added to a word ending in "ng", either the "ng" retains its velar nasal pronunciation /ŋ/ (as in clingy, hanger) or the "g" hardens (as in longest). A few words ending in -nger are pronounced with a hard "g", although the "er" ending is not a suffix:

Soft G not followed by E, I or Y

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There are very few true exceptions in which "g" is soft (pronounced as /dʒ/) but not followed by "e", "i", or "y":

Some words have lost a trailing "e" due to suffixing:

The soft "g" in these words has lost its trailing "e" or "i" in the shortening from their full forms:

  • frig (variant spelling of fridge; a short form of refrigerator)
  • reg (short form of registrar, registration and registry)
  • vag (short form of vagina)
  • veg (short form of vegetable), ~es, ~ged, ~ging

Soft GG before E, I or Y

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Double "gg" is usually hard (pronounced as /g/), both in cases where a suffix beginning with "e", "i" or "y" is added to a word that ends in a single vowel letter followed by "g" and the hard "g" pronunciation of the original word is retained and the "g" is doubled in spelling (as in blogger, druggie, hugging, piggish, saggy, wagged), as well as in other words (not the result of suffixing) that contain "gg" before "e", "i" or "y" where the "gg" is also hard (for example dagger). Only a few words have soft (/dʒ/) pronunciations of "gg":

Either pronunciation

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Other pronunciations of "g"

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G as /ʒ/

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Although in most English words of French origin soft "g" came to be pronounced [dʒ], there are some words of French origin which retain the original French pronunciation [ʒ]:

GG as either /gdʒ/ or /dʒ/

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G as /x/

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G as /h/

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See also

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