What is the rule for the letter 'g' before 'e', 'i', or 'y'?

What is the rule for the letter 'g' before 'e', 'i', or 'y'?

• A. It sounds like /j/, as in 'gel', 'giant', or 'gym'.
• B. It always forms a hard /g/ as in 'go'.
• C. It becomes silent before these letters.
• D. It forms a /t/ sound before these letters.

Answer: (A)

When g comes before e, i, or y, it usually takes a soft sound that’s like the “j” in jelly. That’s why words like gel, giant, and gym begin with that /dʒ/ sound instead of the hard /ɡ/ you hear in go. The hard /ɡ/ sound tends to appear when g is followed by a, o, u, or most consonants. So the pattern here is: soft g before e, i, or y, pronounced like a “j.”

When g comes before e, i, or y, it usually takes a soft sound that’s like the “j” in jelly. That’s why words like gel, giant, and gym begin with that /dʒ/ sound instead of the hard /ɡ/ you hear in go. The hard /ɡ/ sound tends to appear when g is followed by a, o, u, or most consonants. So the pattern here is: soft g before e, i, or y, pronounced like a “j.”