Danny loved teasing his sister at breakfast. This morning he grabbed a bottle of fizzy water, took a loud gulp, and let out a long, rumbling “g, g, g, g” as the bubbles went down, just to make Julia laugh across the table.
That gurgling noise is exactly the phonics g sound this guide covers: the first sound in Jolly Phonics Group 3 (g o u l f b), usually taught in Reception or kindergarten around age 4 to 5, right after the /d/ sound and before /o/.
The /g/ Story
Julia rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “Do it again,” she said, so Danny took an even bigger gulp and made the sound even louder, until their dad told them both to finish their cereal before the bus arrived.
How to Make the /g/ Sound
/g/ is a voiced stop: the back of the tongue lifts to touch the soft palate, then releases in a short burst while the voice is on. Keep it clipped — say “g,” never “guh.” Spiral a finger downward like water disappearing into a drain while chanting “gurgle, gurgle, glug” for a two-second warm-up.
The easiest mix-up is with /c/ and /k/, its voiceless twin. Rest a hand on the throat: /g/ makes it buzz because the voice is switched on, while /c/ and /k/ leave the throat still and are just a puff of air. If your child keeps confusing the two, practice the pair goat and coat side by side and ask them to feel for the buzz each time. Note that this is the hard g heard in goat and gum — the soft g in giraffe sounds like /j/ and is a completely different lesson for later.
See the Mouth Shape for /g/
Watching the back-of-the-tongue movement on video makes it much easier to copy than reading a description.
3 Ways to Practice /g/ Today
- Sound hunt (2 minutes): look around the garden or yard and name everything that starts with /g/ — grass, gate, gravel.
- Listen-and-mark game (3 minutes): use the card below and have your child mark true only when a word you say out loud contains /g/.
- Flashcard blending (4 minutes): point at each of the three letter cards below in turn and ask your child to blend them into a word.
Words With the /g/ Sound
Read each list slowly the first time, then let your child take over once they feel confident with the sound.
Beginning: gap, get, gum, goat, garden, gift, girl, gas
Middle: wagon, tiger, dagger, bigger, wiggle, magnet
End: bag, big, dog, leg, pig, mug, rug, hug
Blend it: g-a-p → gap, b-i-g → big, d-o-g → dog, m-u-g → mug
Watch out: gem, giraffe and giant use the soft g, which sounds like /j/ — save these for a later lesson.
For more blending practice, browse the full set of printable phase 2 flashcards.
Download the Free Jolly Phonics 42 Sounds Chart
Get all 42 Jolly Phonics letter sounds on one free printable chart PDF — in teaching order with an example word for every sound.
Worksheet: Trace the Letter G
Here’s an animal-themed tracing page to print at home, plus the dedicated letter Gg tracing worksheets for extra repetition.
Where /g/ Comes in the Sequence
/g/ opens Group 3, coming right after the /d/ sound and just before the /o/ sound. See every sound in teaching order in the Jolly Phonics complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the g in giraffe the same sound as this lesson?
No. This lesson covers the hard g heard in goat and gum. The soft g in giraffe and gem sounds like /j/ and is taught separately, much later.
How do I stop my child saying guh instead of /g/?
Model the sound short and clipped, without an extra vowel at the end. Practicing the drain-spiral action while saying just “g” a few times in a row usually fixes it within a week or two.
What is the difference between /g/ and /c/ or /k/?
They are made in the same place in the mouth, but /g/ is voiced (the throat buzzes) while /c/ and /k/ are voiceless (just a puff of air, no buzz).
What are good starter words for the phonics g sound?
Gap, gum and get are easy beginning sounds, while bag, big and mug are good for practicing /g/ at the end of a word.
