sing · sign · sin
sing /sɪŋ/ vs sign /saɪn/ vs sin /sɪn/ — sing and sin share the same short /ɪ/ vowel but end differently (/ŋ/ vs /n/); sign shifts to the diphthong /aɪ/ with a silent G.
verb — to make music with your voice — 'sing a song' · 'she sings beautifully' · 'sing along'
mouth shape
short /ɪ/ — tongue high and forward, mouth almost closed — like 'bit', 'sit', 'win'
sing
/sɪŋ/
vowel length
noun or verb — a board with information, OR to write your signature — 'road sign' · 'sign here' · 'sign language'
mouth shape
diphthong /aɪ/ — mouth opens wide then glides up — like 'mine', 'time', 'night' — the G is completely silent!
sign
/saɪn/
vowel length
noun — an immoral act, a wrongdoing — 'confess a sin' · 'it's a sin to waste food'
mouth shape
same short /ɪ/ as 'sing' — but ends with the tongue tip at the alveolar ridge (/n/), not the back of the mouth (/ŋ/)
sin
/sɪn/
vowel length
Key difference
The vowel shifts from short /ɪ/ (tongue high and forward, like “bit”) to the diphthong /aɪ/(mouth opens wide then glides up, like “mine”). Also, in sing the G creates a nasal /ŋ/ sound (back of tongue touches soft palate), while in sign the G is completely silent. sin shares its vowel with sing — the only difference is where the nasal sound is made: tongue tip at the ridge behind your teeth (/n/) instead of the back of the mouth (/ŋ/).
Example sentences
sing:“Can you sing that song again?”
sing:“The birds sing every morning.”
sign:“Please sign at the bottom of the page.”
sign:“There’s a no-parking sign on that street.”
sin:“He asked the priest to forgive his sin.”
Hear it in a sentence
“The choir started to sing and the whole hall fell quiet.”
“He made a wooden sign for the front gate with the house name on it.”
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.
sing
Hear native speakers say “sing” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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sign
Hear native speakers say “sign” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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sin
Hear native speakers say “sin” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
sing family ▸
sign family ▸
Related pairs
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