The letter g can make two different sounds. One is called the hard g sound, like in “go.” The other is called the soft g sound, like in “giant.” Learning when g is hard or soft helps you read and spell more words correctly.
Think of hard g as the “strong” sound (like in “gate”) and soft g as the “gentle” sound (like in “gems”).
The hard g sound is the /g/ sound, as in “goat.” It usually happens when the letter g is followed by the letters a, o, or u.
If g comes before a, o, or u, it usually makes the hard /g/ sound. Remember: goat, gold, gum.
The soft g sound is the /j/ sound, as in “giant.” It usually happens when the letter g is followed by e, i, or y.
If g comes before e, i, or y, it usually makes the soft /j/ sound. Remember: giant, gem, gym.
Sometimes the letter g does not follow the usual rules. In some words, g can stay hard even before e or i, and in others, it can sound soft in unexpected places.
Most of the time the rules work, but some words are exceptions. When reading, try the rule first, and if it doesn’t sound right, try the other sound.
The letter g can make two sounds: hard /g/ (like in “goat”) and soft /j/ (like in “giant”). The sound often depends on the letter that comes after g. Knowing these patterns helps you read and spell new words.
Think: g + a, o, u = hard. g + e, i, y = soft. Watch for tricky words that may be exceptions!