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    Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #95275: Pronunciation of final S





    > Other English exercises on the same topic: Pronunciation [Change theme]
    > Similar tests: - Main stress - The sound [u:] - Onomatopoeia - Spelling: J, G, GE or DGE? - CH phonemes - CH phonemes - CH phonemes - CH phonemes
    > Double-click on words you don't understand


    Pronunciation of final S


    How to pronounce the final  -s (-es)  final


    Please click on small arrows to listen to small characters.


    Listen to the way that the 's' at the end of these words is pronounced.

         starts,                
         picks     

           /s/    

      remembers,           
         gardens   

              /z/    

         watches,           
         buses    

            /iz/

          

          If a word ends with the letter 's' there are three different ways to pronounce this 's'

     /S/ /Z/ /IZ/
     SSSSSSS ZZZZZZZZ This IS a rose. 
     The sound of a snake which hisses.
     The sound of a bee which buzzes.
     Similar to the word 'is'.



    1.    /s/ 

    After a   ' voiceless sound'
     /f/  /k/ /p/  /θ/ ( th doux) /t/
    she laughshe askstwo cups two moths two cats 
     /lɑːf/  =>  /lɑːfs//ˈɑːsk/   => /ˈɑːsks/  /kʌp  =>   /kʌps/  /mɒθ/   =>  /mɒθs/  /kæt/   =>  /kæts/


       2.    /z/

     After a  ' voiced sound'
    /b//d//g//l/
    pubs bedsbagsowls
     /pʌb/  =>   /pʌbz/  /bed/   =>  /bedz/ /bæg/   =>  /ˈbægz/ɔːl/  =>  /ɔːlz/ 
    pubslitssacshiboux
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    /m//n//ng (ŋ)/v/ /ð/   (th dur)
    drumsit burnssongsgloveshe breathes
     /drʌm/  =>  /drʌmz/ /bɜːn/  =>  /bɜːnz/ /sɒŋ/   =>  /sɒŋz/ /ɡlʌv/  =>  /ɡlʌvz/ /briːð/   =>   /briːðz/
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Tous les sons voyelles sont des 'voiced sounds'
    car  => carsshoe  =>  shoesbow  => bowsshe's a girl
      /kɑː/  =>  /kɑːz/   /ʃ/  =>  /ʃz/     /bəʊ =>   /bəʊz /  =>  z/ 


      3.   /iz/

     After these sounds:
     /dj/ (dʒ) /s/ /z/ /sh/ (ʃ) /tch/  (tʃ)
    wage  =>   wagesbus  =>   busesbuzz => buzzesbush  =>  busheswatch  =>  watches
      /weɪ/   =>  /weɪiz/ /bʌs/   =>  /siz  /bʌz/   =>  /bʌziz/   /bʊʃ/   =>   /bʊʃiz/    /wɒ/   =>  /wɒiz/

     

    Difficult plural forms

     /θ/  (singular) =>  /ð/ (plural).

     Ex:   mouth  /maʊθ/, pl. mouths /maʊðz/               path  /pɑːθ/    pl paths   /pɑːðz
    2 plural forms for this word: 
           oath  /əʊθ/   pl. oaths  /əʊθs/   OR /əʊðz







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    Choose the right pronunciation of the 's' or 'es'.

    1.

    hopes
     hope   /həʊp/
     oranges
     orange  /ˈɒrɪndʒ/
     doors  
     door   /dɔ:/

      2.

     

        

      

        

      

        

    3.

    In the past there were only sailing boats.

    4.

     John's  father is a cook. Here he's wearing his chef's hat.

    5.

     Bob is good at doing quizzes . He likes to get high marks.

    6.

    There have been so many calls today that Ann is exhausted.

    7.

      A librarian reads a lot of books, he also classifies them.










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