Minimal Pair final /ŋk/ and /ŋ/

as in think and thing

Below is a list of words that vary only by one ending with the sound /ŋk/ and the other ending with the sound /ŋ/.

You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.

The biggest difference between these two is that /ŋk/ is two sounds ending with a final release of air with the /k/ sound, whereas /ŋ/ is a single sound that is slightly different to /n/ and /m/ with the sound being made with a raised back of the tongue.

Elementary / Pre-Intermediate

bank bang
brink bring
hank hang
pink ping
rink ring
think thing

Intermediate

hunk hung
kink king
rank rang
sink sing

Upper-Intermediate

blink bling
dunk dung
monk mung
sank sang

Written for EnglishClub by Alex Case