Below are lists of words that vary only by one ending with the sound /k/ and the other ending with the sound /g/. You can use this to practice the sounds or as a list of words to be careful to pronounce properly.

Useful Tip

The difference between /k/ and /g/ is often described as the latter being voiced while the former just uses a release of air (with the mouth position the same). But particularly at the end of words it can be more useful to concentrate on releasing more air with /k/.

Elementary

1. back / bag

Pre-Intermediate

1. pick / pig

Intermediate

1. clock / clog
2. dock / dog
3. duck / dug
4. frock / frog
5. muck / mug

Upper-Intermediate

1. black / blag
2. block / blog
3. brick / brig
4. broke / brogue
5. buck / bug
6. crack / crag
7. dick / dig
8. jock / jog
9. lack / lag
10. leak / league
11. lock / log
12. luck / lug
13. pluck / plug
14. rack / rag
15. ruck / rug
16. sack / sag
17. smock / smog
18. snack / snag
19. tack / tag

Advanced

1. beck / beg
2. berk / berg
3. chuck / chug
4. cock / cog
5. flock / flog
6. hack / hag
7. hock / hog
8. jack / jag
9. knack / nag
10. prick / prig
11. puck / pug
12. shack / shag
13. slack / slag
14. snuck / snug
15. stack / stag
16. tuck / tug
17. whack / wag
18. wick / wig