S and Z sounds

Here is the rule to help you:

1. When the letter ‘s’ is after an unvoiced or quiet consonant, it is

pronounced as a /s/.

EX: hats, tops, works, laughs, what’s, moths.

2. When the letter ‘s’ is after a vowel, another ‘s’, or a voiced consonant,it
is pronounced as a /z/ sound.

EX: logs, tubes, beds, moves, clothes, was, becomes, he’s, passes.

Pronounce the ‘es’ as /əz/after the consonants /s /z/ ‘ch’ ‘sh’ ‘j’ ‘zh’ (as invision)- (in
‘es’ /əz/, the schwa sound /ə/ is said like a very short ‘u’ sound)

EX: passes, beaches, washes, packages, noses.

Unvoiced consonants with /s/ after TS- PS-KS-FS-THS

EX: cats, lots, bats, rates, experts, apartments, etc

tops, stops, backs, laughs coughs, baths,

Voiced consonants with ‘s’ said as /z/ after

DS-BS-GS-LS-MS-NS-RS-VS-WS-YS

EX: beds, words, cards, fades, foods, cubs, tubes, bags, walls, feels, ms comes,
homes, hams, ones, pains, fans, cars, fares, hers, leaves, loves, knives), cows, knows,
keys, toys, pays.
 Spellings
There are five common spellings of the S sound: s/ss, ce, ci, sc, and x.

There are three common spellings of the Z sound: z/zz, s, x.

Let's look at a few rules for some of the common spellings.

● s spelling (sit, wise, dogs, cats)

The s spelling is sometimes pronounced as an S sound (sit, cats) and

sometimes as a Z sound (wise, dogs)

It is more likely to be pronounced as a Z sound if it comes between two vowel

sounds: wise, visit, busy.

There are not many rules to help us know which sound is used, so it is very
important to learn the correct pronunciation of each new word.

● sc spelling (science, descend, score)

The sc spelling can be pronounced as an S sound alone or as an S + K

sound. It is more likely to be pronounced as an S sound when it comes in
the middle of a word, but not all words follow the rule.

S sound = muscle, descend, science

S + K sound = scream, score, scare

● x spelling (fox, exist)

The x spelling can be pronounced in two different ways:

K + S sound = fix, fox, next

G + Z sound = example, exist

Practice the voiceless S sound

say - sad - so - sits - sound - sister - its - cats- cross - miss - boss, this -
lips - misty face - practice - bounce - mouse - house - mice - box - fox -
science - city - circle - fence - scare (s + k sound), score (s + k sound),
Saturday, Sunday

Now practice the voiced Z sound

Zip - zoo - zap - zebra - quiz - buzz - freeze - dozen - is- was- his- hers -
nose - noise - noises - rose - roses - bags - frogs - boys - girls - friends -
lies - busy - noisy - nosy - exist - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday

The S sounds are in blue. The Z sounds are in green.

● sizes

● sounds

● science

● business

● freezers

● zippers

● scientists

● noisiest

● because

● anxiety

● quizzes

● descend
 ● oxygen

● license

Now say these sentences out loud.

The S sounds are in blue. The Z sounds are in green:

1) Is Sally his sister?

2) Sam was my son.

3) The seven dogs and cats stay inside the house.

4) He was so sad last Sunday.

5) The sun is so high in the sky.

6) Six boys and girls sat on the fence outside the store.

7) The science quiz was easy.

8) Please sit beside your friends.

9) Is this house hers?

10) CHALLENGE:

The seven students took the first test for their driver's licenses on the last Thursday
in December.