Words that start with G and J, plus soft G words
Words that start with G and J for kids and grown-ups, with simple meanings, and the rule for hard G and soft G, like game and giraffe.
By Polarzinho ·
Why does G sound different in "game" and "giraffe"? I asked myself that while eating bamboo, and the answer turned out to be a neat little rule.
Here are words that start with G and J, from easy ones for kids to bigger ones, plus the rule for hard G and soft G.
Words that start with G
Easy G words
- Game, girl, goat, gift, green
- Grape, garden, guitar, gold, goose
Bigger G words
- Generous: happy to give and share
- Gigantic: extremely big
- Gorgeous: very beautiful
- Gratitude: feeling thankful
- Gadget: a small, clever device
- Galaxy: a huge group of stars
- Genuine: real, honest
- Glimmer: a faint, shimmering light
Words that start with J
Easy J words
- Jam, jar, jet, jelly, jump
- Juice, jungle, jacket, jaguar, jigsaw
Bigger J words
- Jovial: cheerful and friendly
- Jubilant: full of joy, celebrating
- Jargon: special words used by a group
- Jeopardy: danger
- Judicious: wise, with good judgment
- Jostle: to push in a crowd
- Jaunty: lively and confident
Hard G and soft G
G has two sounds. The hard G sounds like the start of "go". The soft G sounds like J, as in "gem".
- Hard G (before A, O, U or a consonant): game, goat, gum, glad, green
- Soft G (often before E, I or Y): gem, giraffe, gym, giant, gentle
- Soft G inside words: magic, page, cage, huge, orange
Practice by playing
In Letter River, you read a clue and drag across the letters on the board to spell the answer: an easy way to practice tricky words.
PolarzinhoThe otter in Letter River never spells "giraffe" with a J. I have. Once. Today.
And in Stop!, the quick category game, G and J are fun letters: goat, grape and Greece; jaguar, jam and Japan.
PolarzinhoOn J, I write "jelly" for everything I can. Sometimes it works.
FAQ
What is a soft G?
A G that sounds like J, usually before E, I or Y: gem, giraffe, gym.
What are some hard G words?
Game, goat, gum, green and glad.
What are some positive words that start with G and J?
Generous, gorgeous, grateful, genuine, jovial, jubilant and joyful.
Your turn
Write three hard G words, three soft G words and three J words without looking. Then try them out in the games below.