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EnglishSolo β€Ί Listening β€Ί S and Z Sounds

/s/ and /z/ Sounds

Master the S and Z pronunciation! Learn the difference between voiceless and voiced sibilant sounds.

πŸ”€ The S and Z Sounds

Both sounds are made the same way, but Z has vocal cord vibration while S does not.
/s/
S Sound (Voiceless)
No vibration
Found in many languages
Like a snake hiss
sing, proceed, kiss
/z/
Z Sound (Voiced)
With vibration
Similar to /s/ except with vibration
Like a buzzing bee
zero, busy, was

🎡 Feel the Vibration

Vocal Cord Test
🎀
Place your hand on your throat
Say "sssss" - no vibration
Say "zzzzz" - feel the buzz!
Click the microphone to see vibration
⚠️ Common Problem

S replaced with Z: If /s/ is replaced with /z/, "sip" sounds like "zip"

Z replaced with S: If /z/ is replaced with /s/, "zeal" sounds like "seal"

πŸ“š Practice Words

🎯 /s/ Words (Voiceless)
sing
proceed
kiss
see
sister
house
🎯 /z/ Words (Voiced)
zero
busy
was
eyes
music
prize

🎧 Sentence Practice

Listen to these sentences and notice the S and Z sounds!
Listen and Repeat
  • Sarah saw some silly sailors smoking cigarettes
  • Sam lips scotch secretly sometimes
  • Sensitive singers safely sing songs softly

πŸ”„ Plural Transformations

Listen to how words change from singular to plural with /s/ and /z/ sounds!
read
↓
reads
allow
↓
allows
Sarah
↓
Sarah's
beach
↓
beaches
push
↓
pushes
pause
↓
pauses

πŸ“Š Your Progress

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🎧 Listening Challenge

Listen carefully and identify which sound you hear!
Click "Play" to hear a word