The letters N and G together look like two sounds, so many learners say "sing" as "sing-guh" or "ringing" as "ring-ging." In many languages, every written letter is said, so learners carry that habit into English. Other learners drop the NG and say "thin" when they mean "thing." Then there is a third surprise: Americans often say "goin'" and "doin'" instead of "going" and "doing." In this episode you learn the NG sound, the words that really do add a G, and when the relaxed -in' ending is fine. In this episode: • The ng sound • Words that do add a g • N or ng? hearing the difference • -ing and -in' • Scene: saturday morning • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: sing — not sing-guh long — the sound stops softly in your nose thing — one smooth sound at the end morning (MOR-ning) — no G after the first N ringing (RING-ing) — not ring-ging singer (SING-er) — no hard G in the middle hanger (HANG-er) — a coat hanger, no hard G finger (FING-ger) — NG plus G longer (LONG-ger) — more long stronger (STRONG-ger) — more strong hungry (HUNG-gree) — I'm hungry! English (ING-glish) — the language single (SING-gul) — only one angry (ANG-gree) — very upset thin / thing — Get the thin plate. / Get that thing. ran / rang — I ran home. / The phone rang. win / wing — I want to win. / I'll take the chicken wing. sun / sung — The sun's out. / We've sung that song. ban / bang — a rule that stops something / a loud noise bring it (BRING-it) — not bring-git hang on (hang-AHN) — wait a moment (casual) Morning, everyone! (MOR-ning EV-ree-wun) — a cheerful greeting Season 2 · Real American English: the complete spoken course for learners worldwide — accent, everyday grammar, prepositions, articles, phrasal verbs, idioms, slang and real conversations at home. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.