sing · sink

sing is /sɪŋ/. sink is /sɪŋk/ — the same sound plus a final /k/. Drop the /k/ and sink becomes sing.

Same start, one extra sound at the end: sing /sɪŋ/ stops at the nasal /ŋ/. sink /sɪŋk/ keeps going — the tongue pushes off the soft palate to add a final /k/.

⠿ reorder

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 — ends in the nasal /ŋ/, back of tongue against the soft palate, no final consonant after it

sing

/sɪŋ/

vowel length

short /ɪ/

⠿ reorder

noun or verb — a basin with a drain for washing up; OR to go below a surface — 'wash up in the sink' · 'the ship began to sink' · 'hearts sink'

mouth shape

same short /ɪ/ and nasal /ŋ/ as sing — but sink adds a final /k/ stop, tongue pushing off the soft palate to close the word

sink

/sɪŋk/

vowel length

short /ɪ/

Key difference

Say “sing” and hold the last sound — your mouth stays open on the nasal hum /ŋ/. Now say “sink”: the same hum, but your tongue then taps off the roof of your mouth to close it with a crisp /k/. If the /k/ disappears, sink sounds exactly like sing.

Example sentences

sing:“Can you sing that song again?”

sing:“The birds sing every morning.”

sink:“Leave the dishes in the sink for now.”

sink:“The boat began to sink after hitting the reef.”

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.

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sing

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