Final -s sometimes sounds like s, and sometimes sounds like z.
If there is a spoken vowel before final –s, it sounds like z
- his, bananas, radios
- (hiz, bananaz, radioz)
If there is a voiced consonant before final –s, it sounds like z
- bags, cars, beds, loves
- (bagz, carz, bedz, lovez)
If there is a voiceless consonant before final –s, it sounds like s
- cats, packs, likes, raps
- To make final voiced consonants, hold the previous vowel for a longer time, and don’t “release” the sound.
- To make final voiceless consonants, hold the previous vowel before for ashorter time and “release” the sound.
- bed = beeeed
- bet = bet(uh)
Listen to hear the difference.
Endings with -ed can sound like t, d, or ed.
If there is a spoken vowel before final -ed, it sounds like d
- zeroed, vetoed
- (zeer-ode, vee-tode)
If there is a voiced consonant before final –ed, it sounds like d
- shared, dubbed, hugged, loved
- (shared, dubd, hugd, loved)
If there is a voiceless consonant before final –ed, it sounds like t
- clapped, kissed, coughed
- clapt, kist, coft
If there is a t or d before final –ed, it sounds like ed
- handed, courted, scalded
- hand-ed, court-ed, scald-ed
Exercise
Please open the exercise to continue.