dʒ
The /dʒ/ sound: j as in job
- Consonant
- Voiced
- Medium priority
Hear it
in job
- Lips
- Pushed forward, rounded
- Tongue
- Front of the tongue just behind the ridge
- Voice
- On: feel your throat buzz
- Air
- Stopped, then released slowly with friction
The sound on its own: recording by The original uploader was Octane at English Wikipedia ., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Credits
How to make /dʒ/
- 1
Start as if saying /d/, tongue on the ridge.
- 2
Release into a /ʒ/ sound with your voice on.
- 3
One sound: job, age, subject.
- Sounds like
- the 'dg' in 'edge'
/dʒ/ vs /j/: jet vs yet
Every pair/j/ is a frictionless glide from the 'ee' position; /dʒ/ starts with a firm tongue contact. If your tongue touches the roof of your mouth on 'yes', it will come out as 'jess'.
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Which word do you hear?
How /dʒ/ is spelled
jgdgege
The usual mistake
Replacing it with /j/ 'y' so 'jet' sounds like 'yet' (common for Spanish speakers), or with /z/ or /ʒ/ so 'age' loses its edge.
Words to practise
Say it and get scored
Read job, subject, age, juice, manager aloud. Free, no account.
Questions
How do you pronounce the /dʒ/ sound?
Start as if saying /d/, tongue on the ridge. Release into a /ʒ/ sound with your voice on. One sound: job, age, subject.
What is the most common mistake with /dʒ/?
Replacing it with /j/ 'y' so 'jet' sounds like 'yet' (common for Spanish speakers), or with /z/ or /ʒ/ so 'age' loses its edge.
Which spellings make the /dʒ/ sound?
Common spellings include “j”, “g”, “dge”, “ge”, as in job /dʒɒb/, subject /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/, age /eɪdʒ/.
Does /dʒ/ matter for IELTS?
It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.