G Words for Speech Therapy: Word Lists and Activities for Daily Practice
Amanda Unrau CCC-SLP
01/27/25 | Last modified: 04/08/25
As children learn to talk in their first few years of life, /g/ is one of the first sounds learned. At the same time, it is not uncommon for children to have trouble producing /g/ correctly. A child who is unable to produce /g/ accurately needs speech therapy and targeted practice to improve their /g/ sound. Improved articulation skills leads to improved confidence in children.
We have created a comprehensive guide for you to use during your child’s practice of the /g/ sound. Our lists of /g/ words, phrases, sentences, short stories, and games are effective tools to incorporate into speech therapy practice.
Word list: 150+ /G/ Word List
When starting to work on the /g/ sound, children should practice producing /g/ in all positions of words: in the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of words. This is the first step to mastery of the /g/ sound in the child’s speech. This table includes /g/ word lists in all positions: /g/ initial words, /g/ medial words, and /g/ final words.
| Initial /g/ Words | Medial /g/ Words | Final /g/ Words |
| gate | degree | bag |
| game | tiger | dog |
| garden | magnet | frog |
| good | bigger | hug |
| great | figure | flag |
| goat | segment | log |
| gift | wagon | rug |
| grow | regal | egg |
| goal | struggle | jug |
| grind | begging | twig |
| guess | bagel | leg |
| gas | digging | wig |
| glass | jagged | jog |
| gum | baggage | mug |
| golden | cougar | drag |
| gamble | target | pig |
| gravy | trigger | big |
| guide | signal | fog |
| growl | dragon | gig |
| gavel | hungry | tag |
| grab | together | ladybug |
| gala | angle | catalog |
| gulp | swagger | |
| gut | dagger | |
| grasp | beggar | |
| gap | juggling | |
| globe | goggle | |
| grieve | luggage | |
| glee | bragging | |
| gain | jogging | |
| gash | gagging | |
| grape | tugging | |
| gallop | waggling | |
| gorgeous | dragging | |
| gust | rugged | |
| glare | mega | |
| garage | ||
| goose | ||
| gallon | ||
| goggle | ||
| gold | ||
| groove | ||
| grant | ||
| grunge | ||
| green | ||
| gross | ||
| group | ||
| gall | ||
| gutter | ||
| grip | ||
| gull | ||
| grime | ||
| gloss | ||
| gasp | ||
| grub | ||
| ground | ||
| grace |
G Word Lists by Syllables
Besides practicing /g/ in all positions of words, children also need to practice /g/ in words containing varying numbers of syllables. Start with single syllable words, which are the easiest. Then move on to words with increasing numbers of syllables.
The following tables include lists of /g/ words with one to five syllables. There are lists for /g/ words with different numbers of syllables with /g/ in the initial, medial, and final position of words.
Initial /g/ by syllables (/g/ at the beginning of words)
| One Syllable | Two Syllables | Three Syllables | Four Syllables | Five Syllables |
| Go | Garden | Gallery | Gregarious | Grandiosity |
| Gate | Guitar | Governor | Galvanizing | Gregariousness |
| Grease | Glory | Gorilla | Grammatical | Glorification |
| Gun | Glowing | Gathering | Governmental | Gravitational |
| Grin | Gotten | Gasoline | ||
| Grasp | Grateful | Galaxy | ||
| Gum | Gummy | Government | ||
| Grass | Greasy | Gardener | ||
| Gasp | Gritty | Guardian | ||
| Grit | Golden | Glamorous | ||
| Good | Glaring | Guarantee | ||
| Globe | Going | Gardening | ||
| Gloom | Gorgeous | Glorious | ||
| Glance | Gallon | Grandchildren | ||
| Glove | Gamble | Glamorous | ||
| Glide | Gander | Grandiose | ||
| Glimpse | Gallop | |||
| Glare | Giggle | |||
| Glam | Goggles |
Medial /g/ by syllables (/g/ in the middle of words)
| Two Syllables | Three Syllables | Four Syllables | Five Syllables |
| Begging | Together | Category | Investigation |
| Bigger | Regulate | Agriculture | Congratulations |
| Again | Regular | Alligator | Configuration |
| Begin | Migration | Agronomy | Egotistical |
| Baggage | Legacy | Congratulate | |
| Maggot | Delegate | Segregation | |
| Tagging | Aggregate | Aggregation | |
| Luggage | Beginning | Oligarchy | |
| Trigger | Disgusting | Segregation | |
| August | Dignity | Navigation | |
| Eggshell | Recognize | Obligation | |
| Dragon | Spaghetti | Investigate | |
| Cougar | Negative | Magnificent | |
| Ignore | Illegal | Togetherness | |
| Magnet | Magazine | Alligator | |
| Tiger | Elegant | Illegally | |
| Sugar | Marigold | Negotiate | |
| Wagon | Signature | Significant |
Final /g/ by syllables (/g/ at the end of words)
| One Syllable | Two Syllables | Three Syllables |
| Bag | Bulldog | Ladybug |
| Bug | Colleague | Catalog |
| Log | Fatigue | Epilogue |
| Flag | Eggnog | Monologue |
| Pig | Nutmeg | Dialogue |
| Rug | Hedgehog | Litterbug |
| Jug | Pollywog | |
| Gig | Washrag | |
| Flog | ||
| Wag | ||
| Stag | ||
| Brag | ||
| Drag | ||
| Clog | ||
| Flag | ||
| Dog | ||
| Rag | ||
| Hug | ||
| Lag | ||
| Snag |
Further /G/ Word Practice: Short Phrases and Sentences
Once children successfully produce /g/ in all positions of words, they should move on to /g/ in phrases and sentences. Introduce short phrases of 2-4 words, and then move onto sentences. Below are lists of /g/ phrases and sentences. You can use these phrases and sentences in some of the games and activities listed further below in this guide.
Short Phrases with G Word
Introduce /g/ word phrases with carrier phrases, which are short simple phrases the bridge the gap between single words and sentences.
Below are some examples of carrier phrases:
- “I see a ____.”
- “I want the ____.”
- “He/she has a ____.”
- “There is a ____.”
- “Give me the ____.”
The table below also lists /g/ words in short phrases for additional practice.
| Initial /g/ Phrases | Medial /g/ Phrases | Final /g/ Phrases |
| Green grass | Bigger garden | Walk the dog |
| Great game | The lagging student | Price tag |
| Gliding goose | Rugged ground | Hang the flag |
| Good gift | Bigger gap | Jump the log |
| Golden gate | Tugging the string | Punching bag |
| Grumpy gorilla | Hugging girl | Catch the frog |
| Glowing green | Dogged determination | Feed the pig |
| Play the guitar | Pull the trigger | Squash the bug |
| Dig for gold | Vagabond on the run | Crack the egg |
| Glistening glimpse | Fogging the glass | Wear a wig |
| Goodbye gift | Feed the beggar | Vacuum the rug |
| Spin the globe | The biggest gift | Fill the mug |
| Goofy grin | Watch the juggler | Pour the jug |
| Green grapes | Logging job | See through the fog |
| Glorious goal | Wagging tail | Break a leg |
| Golden girl |
Short Sentences with G Word
Introduce /g/ words in short sentences after your child successfully produces /g/ words in phrases. We have created a table with lists of short sentences containing /g/ initial words, /g/ medial words, and /g/ final words.
| Initial /g/ Sentences | Medial /g/ Sentences | Final /g/ Sentences |
| Green grapes grow in bunches. | The dog’s tail is wagging. | She washed the dog. |
| Gus goes first in line. | They are digging for gold. | I opened the gift bag. |
| The goat gallops by. | She is getting bigger. | The pig is dirty. |
| The girls give gifts. | The dog is begging for treats. | He took down the flag. |
| Grandpa grabs grapes. | He was bragging after the game. | She found a bug. |
| Geese glide gracefully. | He was dragging more firewood. | I chopped the log. |
| Glen grows vegetables. | The log is rugged. | The frog jumped in the pond. |
| Goats graze in grass. | She was chugging water. | Tug the window open. |
| Gary goes golfing. | They are hugging each other. | I stretched my leg. |
| The garden looks great. | He is bagging apples. | I want a fried egg. |
| Lock the garden gate. | The dog is digging dirt. | Drink coffee from the mug. |
| Please guard the gold. | We went jogging outside. | The fog is so thick. |
G Word Reading Practice
In order to keep increasing the complexity of the context in which your child practices their speech skills, introduce reading practice following /g/ word sentences. To help your child be more aware of /g/ words as they read, go over the passage with the child first. You can even have them highlight or underline the /g/ letter words to help them emphasize those words as they read.
Below are several short stories containing the /g/ sound in various word positions:
Gary the Goose in the Garden
Gary the goose loved his garden. Every day, he would gobble up the green grass and wander past the glistening flowers. His favorite spot was by the gates, where he could watch the gorgeous gazing butterflies.
One sunny morning, Gary heard a gentle giggle coming from the garden. He waddled over to see what was going on. To his surprise, a group of giraffes was playing in the garden! They were galloping around, trying to reach the golden apples hanging from the tall trees.
“Can I play too?” asked Gary, flapping his wings.
“Of course!” said one of the giraffes. “Join us, Gary! Let’s see who can reach the apples first.”
Gary gathered all his energy and galloped as fast as he could. He was quick on his feet, but the giraffes were taller and faster. Giggles filled the air as the giraffes reached the apples, but Gary didn’t mind. He was just happy to be part of the fun.
At the end of the day, Gary sat by the garden gate, enjoying the soft glow of the setting sun. It had been a great day full of giggling, galloping, and gorgeous garden adventures!
Gwen the Golfer
Gwen the golfer was great at hitting the ball. Every morning, she would grab her green golf bag, gather her clubs, and head to the golf course with her glowing smile. She loved the gorgeous green grass and the glittering morning dew.
One sunny day, Gwen was practicing her swing on the golf green. She gathered her clubs and took a deep breath. “I’m going to get this ball in the hole,” she said with a grin.
With one golf swing, the ball went galloping across the grass and landed right next to the hole! Gwen clapped her hands in excitement and shouted, “I did it!”
A goose waddled by and giggled as it watched her. “Good job, Gwen!” it honked. Gwen waved at the goose and said, “Thanks, I’m going to try again!”
With another strong swing, the ball went rolling straight toward the hole. Gwen jumped up in the air with joy as the ball gently rolled in. “I did it!” she cheered, proud of her gorgeous shot.
From that day on, Gwen the golfer kept practicing and having great fun. She knew that with every swing, she was getting even greater at her favorite game.
Gloria and the Garage
Gloria loved spending time in her garage. It was full of great tools, green gardening supplies, and all sorts of gadgets. Every Saturday, Gloria would gather her gear and get to work on her projects.
One day, Gloria decided to gather all her gardening tools and start planting a garden in the backyard. She grabbed her gloves, her garden rake, and a glistening spade. With a gigantic grin on her face, she got to work.
As she dug, she noticed something glowing in the corner of the garage. She went over and found an old, golden key hidden in a small green box. “I wonder what this opens?” Gloria wondered, giggling with excitement.
Gloria went outside and started looking around the garage for a lock. Soon, she found a rusty gate at the back of the garden. She tried the key, and to her surprise, it fit perfectly!
The gate gave way to a gorgeous hidden garden filled with colorful flowers and a small pond. “Wow!” Gloria said, her eyes glistening with joy. She couldn’t wait to tell her family about her great discovery.
From that day on, Gloria spent her weekends in the garage and the garden, always gathering new surprises and making her backyard even more gorgeous.
Games & Activities with G Words
As your child moves to generalization of the /g/ sound across environments and situations, a great task to incorporate next is games and activities containing /g/ words. This allows children to practice producing the /g/ sound that they have learned in more natural contexts. Since these activities are fun, children are often more motivated to keep practicing and trying their best. We have gathered examples of interactive games and activities with /g/ words for you to play with your child.
/G/ Words Collage
Gather some old magazines and flip through them together. Cut out pictures of items that have the /g/ sound in them. Glue the pictures on a piece of poster board or construction paper. Practice saying the /g/ words as you locate and glue the pictures down. Once you complete the picture, take turns coming up with silly stories about the scene.
A Day at the Races
Gather some toy cars and get ready to race! Before every turn, say, “Ready, set, go!” If your child is especially active, you can turn this into a foot race.
Go Fish!
This classic card game works well for practicing the /g/ sound. Kids can say phrases like “Go fish!” or “Got it!” when they match cards.
/G/ Sound Hopscotch
Create a hopscotch grid with words that contain the /g/ sound in each square (e.g., “grape,” “guitar,” “goose“). Children hop through the squares while saying the words aloud.
What is a /G/ Sound and How to Pronounce It?
The /g/ sound is an early developing voiced consonant sound that children typically learn to produce by age 2 to 4. Children who have difficulty producing /g/ often substitute it for /d/. For example, instead of “go” they may say “doe.” If your child is still struggling to produce the /g/ sound by age 4, contact a speech language pathologist and practice with the /g/ words lists in this resource. The sooner your child starts practicing, the better.
Pronouncing the /G/ Word Sound
As stated above, the /g/ sound is a voiced sound, meaning that the vocal folds vibrate during its production. It is produced in the back of the mouth, with the back of the tongue up and the tongue tip down. This is similar to the /k/ sound, except that with /k/ the voice is off.
To produce /g/, elevate the back of your tongue up toward the soft palate, which is the soft part of the roof of the mouth in the back. Push air out of your lungs while your vocal folds vibrate. Stop this air with your elevated tongue, and then release the air as you lower your tongue.
How to Help Your Child Produce the /G/ Sound Correctly
To help your child understand where the /g/ sound originates, have them gargle water. This puts their tongue in the correct position. You can also have your child lay on their back and try to make the sound. This allows gravity to make it easier for the tongue to make contact with the soft palate.
To demonstrate that /g/ is a voiced sound, allow your child to feel your neck as you produce the sound. After they feel the vibration on you, encourage them to turn on their voice and feel their own neck as they practice the /g/ sound.
Using Forbrain to Practice G Words
Add Forbrain to your /g/ words practice sessions. Forbrain is a headset that can be worn by the child to improve their auditory discrimination and help them hear their speech louder and more clearly. It uses auditory stimulation to provide immediate feedback to the child so they can make adjustments to their speech.
Wearing Forbrain during formal speech therapy and practice sessions can lead to improved articulation skills. Continued use of Forbrain over time also strengthens communication skills, language development, vocabulary acquisition, and literacy skills.
Final Words
For children struggling with their production of /g/ words, start practicing as soon as possible. The sooner you notice and start working on the difficulty, the easier it will be to correct. Use these lists of /g/ words, phrases, sentences, short stories, and activities in this resource.
Besides set aside structured practice, you can incorporate daily practice of /g/ words into daily life. Read books that emphasize the /g/ sound, such as “Goodnight Moon” or “Good Night, Gorilla.” Emphasize the /g/ sound during reading and have children repeat certain phrases. If your child loves art, practice drawing and coloring pictures of items that start with /g/, such as grapes, gifts, or goose.
Any activity that reinforces the /g/ sound through repetition in a natural context helps your child become more aware of what /g/ should sound like and can help improve their speech skills.
Amanda Unrau
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