
How to pronounce the letter S?
Pronouncing the Letter S The letter S can present some difficulties for pronunciation because of the variety of sounds it can make. Most often, it produces two distinct consonant sounds: /s/ and /z/. In some specific instances, S can also form the sounds /ʃ/ (as in sure) or /ʒ/ (as in usual).
How to pronounce the final s?
The final S is pronounced in three different ways. The Final S Pronunciation is based on the final sound of a word, before adding -s. When word ends with a Voiceless sound, the final «s» is pronounced as /s/. /Z/. When word ends with a Voiceless sound, the final «s» is pronounced as /Z/.
What is how to pronounce?
HowToPronounce.com is a free online audio pronunciation dictionary which helps anyone to learn the way a word or name is pronounced around the world by listening to its audio pronunciations by native speakers.
How do you pronounce s in the middle of a word?
When S appears between two vowel sounds in the middle of a word, it tends to create the /z/ sound, but it is by no means uncommon for it to be pronounced /s/, too. Unfortunately, there’s no clear way to be sure of whether S will take an /s/ or /z/ pronunciation in this position—we simply have to memorize individual words.

Do you say S's or S?
Actually, both ways are correct. If a proper name ends with an s, you can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s. See the examples below for an illustration of this type of possessive noun.
What is the voiced sound of S?
When a voiced sound appears right before the letter “s,” you pronounce the “s” with a /z/ sound, as in zoo. Some examples are: kids, dogs, tables, exams, cans, scissors. Remember that all vowel sounds are voiced, so words with -es spellings will also be pronounced with a /z/ sound.
Why is s pronounced as sh?
Linguists call this pronunciation S-retraction or S-backing, because the SH sound is made with the tongue slightly farther back inside the mouth than it is for the S sound. So you're moving the S farther back in your mouth: S-backing.
How do you say s without a lisp?
If you have difficulty with "S" sounds, try the "Butterfly Technique." Place the outside of your tongue lightly on the sides of your teeth, like the wings of a butterfly. Keep the centre of your tongue curved in a groove letting the air flow over it. Now, try to make an "S" sound.
What is the rule for choosing Z or S?
Say “Z when the word ends in a vowel or other voiced sound like the m, n, ng, l, b, d, g, v, voiced th, or r sound. Say “S when the word ends in a voiceless sound like a p, t, k, f, or voiceless th sound.
Why do I pronounce s weird?
A person with a frontal lisp presses the tongue forward against the front teeth when she makes an "s" or "z" sound. This may create a "th" sound if the tongue sticks out between the teeth (an "interdental" lisp), or a muffled "s" or "z" sound if the tongue presses against the back of the teeth (a "dentalized" lisp).
What is it called when someone can't pronounce s?
A lisper is someone who can't pronounce the letter S.
How can I improve my S and SH sound?
If your child can produce a good /s/ sound or a good “ee” sound we can shape/teach the SH sound starting from one of these sounds. Have your child say /s/ (ssssssssss). While you child is saying the /s/ sound have them pucker their lips slightly and move their tongue back slowly until you hear a good SH sound.
How is the s sound produced?
The /s/ sound is made by placing the tip of your tongue just behind the front teeth, very close to the roof of the mouth but not touching it. The sides of the tongue are raised to touch the roof of the mouth, leaving a passage for air down the middle of the tongue.
How do you pronounce s without hissing?
Place your tongue in the correct position. Raise the sides of your tongue so they touch your upper teeth on the sides of your mouth. Bring the tip of your tongue up near the upper front of your mouth, but do not touch it against your teeth. This should form a groove down the center of your tongue, allowing air to flow.
How do you pronounce s?
Š is pronounced as SH like shoe. Ž is pronounced like a 'soft s' like pleasure, measure.
Which word has ʧ sound in it?
Here are some words with the /ʧ/ sound at the end: research /rɪˈsɜːtʆ/ teach /tiːtʆ/ approach /əˈprəʊtʆ/
What does the letter S mean?
The letter S can serve several different functions at the end of words, each of which can influence its pronunciation. Here, we’ll look at when the inflectional suffixes “-s” and “-es” are used to form plural nouns and third-person singular verbs, when “-s” follows an apostrophe to form a possessive or a contraction, and when S appears naturally at the end of a word.
What is the vowel sound followed by SS?
There are some words that end in a short vowel sound followed by /s/ but are only spelled with a single S. In particular, words with a short U sound (/ʌ/) at the end are often followed by a single S. Much less commonly, there are a few words that have a long vowel sound followed by SS. For example: Short vowel + S.
Why do we double S after vowels?
Double S after short vowels. Because we use the suffix “-s” to inflect nouns and verbs, we don’t usually have base words that end in a single S after a vowel or vowels. If the vowel makes a short sound, we typically double the S so it isn’t confused for a plural noun or a third-person singular verb.
What are the consonant sounds of the letter scan?
The letter Scan present some difficulties for pronunciation because of the variety of sounds it can make. Most often, it produces two distinct consonant sounds: /s/ and /z/. In some specific instances, Scan also form the sounds /ʃ/ (as in sure) or /ʒ/ (as in usual). We’ll briefly touch on these pronunciations as well, but first we’ll focus on the /s/ vs. /z/ sounds.
How to make a noun plural?
Nouns are usually made plural by adding “-s” or “-es” onto the end, without changing the spelling of the base noun itself. In the same way, we add “-s” or “-es” onto verbs to indicate actions done by a singular person or thing being described in the third person. Fortunately, the rules for pronunciation of both plural and third-person “- ...
Why is the letter S difficult to pronounce?
The letter S can present difficulties for pronunciation because of the variety of sounds it can make. Most often, it produces two distinct consonant sounds.
What does the S mean in the middle of a word?
The pronunciation of S in the middle of a word largely follows the patterns we’ve already seen when it appears at the beginning or end, taking the /s/ or /z/ pronunciation depending on whether it appears next to vowels or certain consonants. When it appears in the middle of a word, there are also two other sounds it can create: /ʃ/ or /ʒ/.
How is the final S pronounced?
The Final S Pronunciation is based on the final sound of a word, before adding -s. When word ends with a Voiceless sound, the final “s” is pronounced as /s/. When word ends with a Voiceless sound, the final “s” is pronounced as /Z/.
What are the consonants that vibrate?
Voiced consonants are consonant sounds that are made by vibrating the vocal chords. These are the voiced consonants : B, D, G, J, L, M, N, Ng, R, Sz, V, W, Y, Z, and Th ( as in “then”) Voiceless consonants do not use the vocal cords to produce their hard, percussive sounds.
Why do you add /s/ or /z/ at the end of a sentence?
The first reason means you need to be consciously aware of remembering to add the extra /s/ or /z/ at the end of words for the plural and for the simple present verb tense.
Why do you have to practice saying the 2 consonants together?
The third reason means you have to practice saying the 2 consonants together so you don’t leave the /s/ and /z/ out because your mouth isn’t used to moving this way.
Is James's possessive or non-plural?
First, "James's" is the correct possessive. The exception to non-plural words ending in "s" taking the "'s" if for biblical names like "Jesus'" and "Moses'" for the sole reason that the grammatical rules were only standardized after the bible was translated in English and the grammarians preferred to make an exception than to suggest the bible was grammatically incorrect. And that only applies to the biblical character, so my Mexican neighbor Jesus's car takes the "'s". And that only applies to biblical characters if you are religious and overly respectful.
Is the possessive s dropped from writing?
The possessive s is dropped from writing in many contexts, but there's no universal agreement about exactly which. Take James's, where quite a few people drop that last s in writing. But very few people would fail to pronounce it - especially not parents of James! Unless maybe if they're talking about James's essay, for example. Even then I would think it slightly odd to drop the s because it's not that hard to say. YMMD, of course.
