Pronounce English Accurately

The Pronunciation of the '-s/-es' Ending

Video Text

The 's' ending on noun plurals and the third person singular of verbs

The 's' ending on noun plurals and the third person singular of verbs has three pronounciations: /s/, /z/ and /ɪz/.

When a word ends in a sibilant consonant, a hissing consonant - those are /s, z, ʃ, ʒ/ or /tʃ, dʒ/ - the '-es' ending is prounounced /-ɪz/ because it's impossible to have two sibilant sounds together.

pass - passes,

miss - misses,

buzz - buzzes

gaze - gazes

fish - fishes

garage - garages

catch - catches

page - pages

After any other voiceless consonant, the '-s' ending is pronounced /s/:

Remember to cut the vowel off short and make the final consonant powerful when there's a final voiced consonant.

map - maps

tap - taps

hope - hopes

look - looks.

After all vowels and all voiced consonants except the sibilants I just listed, '-s' is pronounced /z/.

eye - eyes

lie - lies

bee - bees

key, quay - keys, quays (the pronunciation is the same)

With final voiced consonants always remember the trick of lengthening the preceding vowel and cutting the consonant off short.

town - towns

lab - labs

tab - tabs

pub - pub

to run - he runs

bun - buns

lad - lads

drag - it drags

leg - legs

pig - pigs

dog - dogs

Next Lesson: The Alveolar Nasal, /n/

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