Letter G Sounds and Words

G is the seventh letter and it has two sounds! Hard G says guh (like in GO, GAME, GARDEN). Soft G says juh (like in GIANT, GYM, GIRAFFE). Like C, the vowel right after G is the clue: a/o/u = hard G, e/i/y = usually soft G.

Uppercase G looks like a C with a little shelf inside. Lowercase g has a round top and a long tail that hangs below the line. Hard G (guh) is the most common sound. Soft G (juh) appears in some words like giraffe, gym, gentle.

Hard G: Go, Game, Goat, Gold, Grape, Guitar, Garden. Soft G: Giant, Gym, Giraffe, Gentle, Giraffe. Notice: Hard G is followed by a, o, u. Soft G is often followed by e, i. But there are exceptions like get and give (both hard G before E/I).

G has a long tail that drops below the line when you write it lowercase. Letters with tails are called descenders. Other descenders are p, q, y, and j. Knowing which letters have tails helps you write neatly.