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.

Exercise

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