The pronunciation of the S at the end of words in English The pronunciation of the final S in plural words and verbs in the third person depend on the final consonant sound before that S. The ending is pronounced /s/ after a voiceless sound, it is pronounced /z/ after a voiced sound and is pronounced /ɪz / or /əz/ after a sibilant sound:
Full Answer
How to use "s" in a sentence?
An in a Sentence
- When to Use “An” in a Sentence. You’re supposed to use “a” for words that start with consonants and “an” for words that start with vowels, right?
- When to Use “A” in a Sentence. ...
- Sometimes, Both "A" and "An" Work. ...
- Sometimes, Neither "A" Nor "An" Works. ...
- Vowels Vs. ...
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What is the difference between 's and s' in English?
- Ten thousand lemmings are throwing themselves, headlong, into the sea.
- “You are such a magnificent beast,” Marjorie said to her horse.
- “You are the most talented players in the league,” the coach said. ...
- We are going to the sushi bar; are you coming?
- Then there’s a new crop of fashion biopics in the works, and they are doozies. ...
How do you use s?
“It’s incredibly concerning, because we so desperately need programmes to support people who use drugs, and to act on the best available evidence to pursue interventions that have a demonstrated impact on the wellbeing of this group,” says Ryan ...
Is s singular or plural?
Singular and Plural: Adding s or es. Add s or es to make the words plural. ID: 303787. Language: English. School subject: English Language Arts (ELA) Grade/level: 2nd year. Age: 5-7. Main content: Singular and Plural Nouns. Other contents:
Where is the apostrophe in the letter "s"?
The apostrophe is placed behind the letter s when you're showing ownership. The neighbor’s house was at the mercy of the rain and snow that plagued their part of the state. The singular noun neighbor is aching for an apostrophe s.
What happens when you join two words together?
When you join two words together, the apostrophe comes into play. The little punctuation mark points out the letter that is missing, or that’s missing, to be more precise in this context. The term “it is” becomes “it’s.” The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter i in front of the s of the word “is.” It also works with “do not,” which becomes “don’t,” where the apostrophe replaces the letter o in not.
When do you use an apostrophe in a sentence?
When a common noun already ends in the letter s , an apostrophe quickly shows the reader that you're using the possessive form. This makes the sentence easier to read and less confusing. Some editors or instructors may require no additional s when the proper noun already ends in an s, such as Jones or Texas. In that case, you'd use ...
What does the S sound like?
If the last letter of the words ends in a voiced consonant (or sound), then the S is pronounced like a Z /z/ (without creating another syllable). This Z sound is similar to the sound a bee makes zzzz.
How to pronounce the final S?
If the sound has a J sound (/dʒ/ like the letter J at the beginning of the word jacket or /ʒ/ like the S in pleasure), then the final S is also pronounced as /ɪz/.
What is the final S of a word?
If the last consonant sound of the word is a sibilant sound (a hissing or buzzing sound), the final S is pronounced as /ɪz/. This /ɪz/ sound is pronounced like an extra syllable. (e.g. the word buses has two syllables)
What is the sound produced by forcing air out toward your teeth?
Another sound which is relevant to this is the sibilant sound which is produced by forcing air out toward your teeth. Is is characterized by a hissing sound (sssss), a buzzing sound (zzzzz) or the sound teachers make when they want you to be quiet (shhhh!).
How to pronounce "s" in third person?
The pronunciation of S at the end of plural nouns, verbs in third person and as a part of the possessive case sometimes causes problems for non-native speakers because it can be pronounced in three different ways: / ɪz /, / s / or / z /.
Voiced Consonants vs. Voiceless Consonants
Sibilant Sounds
The Pronunciation of The S at The End of Words in English
- The pronunciation of the final S in plural words and verbs in the third person depend on the final consonant sound before that S. The ending is pronounced /s/ after a voiceless sound, it is pronounced /z/ after a voiced sound and is pronounced /ɪz / or /əz/ after a sibilant sound: 1. Voiceless:helps /ps/ -- sits /ts/ -- looks /ks/ 2. Voiced:crabs /bz/ -- words /dz/ -- gloves /vz/, 3. Sibil…
The /ɪz/ Sound
- Sometimes this sound is written as /əz/ and uses the symbol "schwa" or "upside down e" before the z. For ease we will write this sound as /ɪz/ or /iz/ If the last consonant sound of the word is a sibilant sound (a hissing or buzzing sound), the final S is pronounced as /ɪz/. This /ɪz/ sound is pronounced like an extra syllable. (e.g. the word buseshas two syllables) If the sound has a J so…
The /s/ Sound
- If the last consonant of the word is voiceless, then the S is pronounced as /s/. Be careful not to create an extra syllable. NOTE: The consonants c, s, sh, ch and x are voiceless though they use the sibilants ending seen above. Examples of words ending in the /s/ sound: 1. P: cups stops, sleeps 2. T: hats, students, hits, writes 3. K: cooks, books,...
The /z/ Sound
- If the last letter of the words ends in a voiced consonant (or sound), then the S is pronounced like a Z /z/(without creating another syllable). This Z sound is similar to the sound a bee makes zzzz. We also use this ending when the word ends in a vowel sound (e.g. bees, flies etc.) Examples of words ending in the /z/ sound: 1. B: crabs, rubs 2. D: cards, words, rides, ends 3. G: rugs, bags, be…
Next Activities
- Pronunciation Rules: You might be interested in the Pronunciation of -ED at the end of wordsin English. Grammar Rules: How to make plural nouns in English and Verbs in Third Person If you found this guide about the Pronunciation of S in Englishuseful, let others know about it: