Sound Gym

hungry · angry

Same -ngry ending, one vowel apart — /ʌ/ vs /æ/

hungry and angry share the same ending — /ŋɡri/. The stressed vowel is the only difference: /ʌ/ in hungry (neutral, central “uh”) vs /æ/ in angry(bright, open “aa”). It's the exact same contrast as uncle vs ankle — listen for the jaw height difference.

⠿ reorder

A man looking hungrily at an empty plate while food is served

adjective — feeling the need to eat — 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.' · 'hunger' (the noun)

mouth shape

short /ʌ/ — HUNG-gree — mouth half-open, tongue central and relaxed, lips neutral — the 'uh' sound — like 'cut', 'uncle', 'much' — do not spread your lips or drop your jaw

hungry

/ˈhʌŋɡri/

vowel length

short /ʌ/

⠿ reorder

A close-up of a woman's angry, scowling face

adjective — feeling strong displeasure — 'She was angry about the delay.' · 'anger' (the noun)

mouth shape

short /æ/ — ANG-gree — jaw drops lower than /ʌ/, lips spread slightly — like 'cat', 'hat', 'ankle' — a brighter, more open sound than the neutral /ʌ/ in hungry

angry

/ˈæŋɡri/

vowel length

short /æ/

/ʌ/ vs /æ/ — jaw height is the key

hungry

/ˈhʌŋɡri/

neutral /ʌ/ — half-open jaw

cut · uncle · much

≠

angry

/ˈæŋɡri/

bright /æ/ — jaw drops lower

cat · hat · ankle

Key difference

Place your fingers on your jaw and say both words. For angry /æ/ your jaw drops noticeably lower and your lips spread wider than for hungry /ʌ/, which stays relaxed and central. The /æ/ in angry is bright and forward; the /ʌ/ in hungry is dull and neutral.

Hear it in a sentence

“By the time dinner arrived, the kids were absolutely hungry.”

“He got angry when the flight was delayed for the third time.”

Hear it in the wild

Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.

YouGlish↗

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hungry

Hear native speakers say “hungry” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.

Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.

NPRTEDBBClectures

YouGlish↗