Lips
Round your lips and push them forward. Small opening, teeth close together.
Voiced consonants
/dʒ/as in June
Voiced: a "d" that releases into a "zh", with your vocal cords buzzing.
Example words: June, judge, age, magic, bridge
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /dʒ/ sound?
Tongue
Press the blade of your tongue against the ridge just behind the alveolar ridge, then release it slowly into a voiced "zh".
Video lesson
Try it
- Round and push your lips forward before you begin.
- Press the tongue blade to the ridge area and switch on the buzz: hand on throat, feel the hum.
- Release slowly into a buzzing "zh": stop and hiss fuse into one sound.
- Keep the voice running through a final /j/ sound, as in "judge".
- Now say: June, judge, age.
Check
Minimal-pair test: "chin" vs "gin". Hand on throat: /j/ buzzes immediately, /ch/ does not. If your "gin" feels silent at the start, you are saying "chin".
Common trap
Two traps: skipping the lip rounding, and letting the buzz die at the end of a word, which turns "age" into something like "aitch". Round first, and buzz to the finish.
Practice: /dʒ/
Words
Junedʒˈun
judgedʒˈʌdʒ
ageˈeɪdʒ
magicmˈædʒɪk
bridgebɹˈɪdʒ
Sentences
John wore a jacket in June.dʒˈɑn wˈɔɹ ɐ dʒˈækət ɪn dʒˈun.
The judge made a just decision.ðə dʒˈʌdʒ mˌeɪd ɐ dʒˈʌst dəsˈɪʒən.
Just enjoy the orange juice.dʒˈʌst ɪndʒˈɔɪ ði ˈɔɹəndʒ dʒˈus.
We crossed a large bridge in the village.wˌi kɹˈɔst ɐ lˈɑɹdʒ bɹˈɪdʒ ɪn ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ.
She changed jobs at a young age.ʃˌi tʃˈeɪndʒd dʒˈɑbz æt ɐ jˈʌŋ ˈeɪdʒ.
Words
Junedʒˈuːn
judgedʒˈʌdʒ
ageˈeɪdʒ
magicmˈadʒɪk
bridgebɹˈɪdʒ
Sentences
John wore a jacket in June.dʒˈɒn wˈɔː ɐ dʒˈakɪt ɪn dʒˈuːn.
The judge made a just decision.ðə dʒˈʌdʒ mˌeɪd ɐ dʒˈʌst dɪsˈɪʒən.
Just enjoy the orange juice.dʒˈʌst ɪndʒˈɔɪ ði ˈɒɹɪndʒ dʒˈuːs.
We crossed a large bridge in the village.wˌiː kɹˈɒst ɐ lˈɑːdʒ bɹˈɪdʒ ɪn ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ.
She changed jobs at a young age.ʃˌiː tʃˈeɪndʒd dʒˈɒbz at ɐ jˈʌŋ ˈeɪdʒ.
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Sounds in the same group
Is /dʒ/ one of yours?
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