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Soft G and J sounds

G is usually soft, sounding like J, when followed by E, I or Y: gentle, giant, gym. Before A, O and U it stays hard: game, go, gum. The rule holds most of the time, but get, give and girl are common exceptions that keep the hard G.

Accent

15 words · beginner · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

giant
judge
general
gentle
gym
danger
magic
engine
bridge
large
age
change
original
gesture
legend

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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.