the ng sound at the beggining of a word

[Tsayketuwong]

What is the correct way to pronounce the ng sound when it is the beginning of the word?

As in the common phrase:

Oel ngati kameie

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on pronounciation clues but is it more of a n-gati with the n being the n sound as in nice, or is it more of a mix of the n and the g? If someone has a trick for prounouncing that I would be much obliged.

Just started trying to learn today, but love the movie, and Im super excited to try and learn this language.

[omängum fra'uti]

It's the ng as in "siNG", pronounced as one sound towards the back of the mouth, rather than n which is closer to the front.  It's not a sound that English speakers will be used to coming first, but it's not too hard with a little practice.

You'll probably be tempted to pronounce it with a vowel before or after at first (For example some of the interviewers who talked to Frommer tried to say ngya rather than nga) but work at it and you'll get used to saying a straight "ng".

[kewnya txamew'itan]

I normally here people say it with a lax u (the uhhh sound you make if you get punched in the chest) before the ng. The other thing I hear is people pronouncing it n at the start of a syllable. Again, this is wrong.

It is important not to do this, it's difficult for native English speakers as ng only appears at the end of syllables in English.

[Doolio]

and that also means that english speakers are using na'vi "ng" in everyday communication:) they should just try to isolate it and learn to control it like any other sound, and then they'll be able to do whatever they want with it:)

[kewnya txamew'itan]

I'm using it right now.   

So it isn't difficult for English speakers to make, just to isolate and start syllables with. Luckily I haven't had that problem as my Mum has some Cantonese friends from school whose surname was "ng" so I've grown up with the sound.

[Kìte'eyä Aungia]

Practice saying a word like "singer", pay attention to what you're doing when you articulate the part after the first vowel, and then try to say just that part.

[Taronyu]

Some americans say ngkay for ok. I've noticed it. That's the same thing.

[Seze]

In one of the Frommer interviews he teaches the "nga" sound.  Take a listen...

[kewnya txamew'itan]

Thanks for the clip, I might need to post that in the ejectives thread actually as it gives us some information about their choppiness (he says to say the vowel as quickly as possible afterwards, implying that they should be unchoppy).