(ʒ didn’t work for the subject so had to make the subject like that.)
beige [dʒ];
cage [ʒ];
I never get what’s the difference between them, or how to pronounce them right.
Could anybody tell me how to?
Hi penny lane,
I think you must have confused the transcription - there should be no /d/ in ‘beige’ [beɪʒ] but in cage [ceɪdʒ]. The difference in pronunciation is actually quite simple; you pronounce the /d/ in ‘cage’ wheres you don’t in ‘beige’.
Here’s a good introduction to the IPA.
hi penny lane
To help you along with this subtle pronunciation: cage is like mage, rage, page, and other such words that have the same dʒ sound in them.
The /d/ is there, but softer than in badge which has the same dʒ phoneme as cage.
Badge like fudge and ledge are a little harder.
cheers stew.t.
I would argue that this ‘softer’ impression stems from the diphthong in [c[color=blue]e[color=darkred]ɪdʒ]. The short vowel ahead of ‘dʒ’ in [b[color=blue]ӕdʒ] probably serves to make it sound harder. But I’m sure it isn’t 
Hi Ralf
Always right my lovely, just trying to clarify darlin. Better to be of help than to hinder, innit?
Thanks Stew, I’ve added your chocolate to my shopping list 
Picking up on an exchange of ideas shared over a bev - what words can you think of that rhyme with ‘cadge’ (in your neck of the grove)?
[i]Can I cadge some money for a badge?
- No, it’s been stolen by a madge.
Yeah right, you’re such a vadge!
[/i]
It seems to me that the final consonant in “cage” has a more forceful aspiration than in “badge”; which may make it sound “softer”.
MrP
Hi Ralf
As long as the chocolate is Lindt and has an arty cover just for folks like me, and no changing the label. ; )
As for ryhmning, could try some experimental rhyming;
“flage…llation”
Not sure if I would separate it onto two lines, what you reckon?
For other thread peruses, the meaning of cadge is;
And it all started with a little bird asking about a cage, where did s/he fly to?