Plurals in English: [s], [z] or [z] | English Pronunciation Lesson about:reader?url=https://www.elementalenglish.

com/3-sounds-of-the-plural-s-in-english/

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Plurals in English: [s], [z] or [z] |

English Pronunciation Lesson
Elemental English
5-6 minutes

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Just like the -ed ending, there are three ways of saying the plural
s ending in English:

[s]

[z]

[z]

Example

When we say the plural of two basic words in English:

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cats [kts]

dogs [dawgz]

the plural s is said in two different ways:

cats [kts] with an [s].

cats [kts]

dogs [dawgz] with a [z].

dogs [dawgz]

Why does the sound of the plural s change?

The goal for English speakers is to speak efficiently, to say the

most they can in the shortest amount of time. When there is a
change in sound, the change is often caused by the sound right
before it. This allows the vocal chords in particular to be more
efficient; to continue what they are doing.

Practice and Understand

[t]

Put your hand on the front of your neck and say the sound [t]. What

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do you feel?

You should feel nothing at all, meaning, there is no vibration in

the vocal chords when you say [t].

[d]

Now, put your hand on the front of your neck and say the sound [d].
What do you feel?

You should feel a vibration now. Thats because the vocal chords
vibrate when you say the sound [d].

*This vibration or lack of vibration is what causes the plural s to

sound like a [s] or [z].

[s]

Now, put your hand in front of your neck and say the [s] sound.
What do you feel? You should feel no vibration.

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[z]

Put your fingers on the front of your neck and say the [z] sound.
What do you feel? You should feel the vibration of the vocal
chords.

Rule

Any time a word has a sound just before the plural s that has NO
vibration in the vocal chords, the plural s will continue the lack of
vibration and sound like a [s].

Any time you have a sound before the plural s that has the
vibration, the vibration will carry forward and transform the letter
s into the [z] sound.

There are also some sounds that require an extra syllable in order
to be articulated.

Example

I cant even say the plural of bridge without adding an extra []

sound before the plural s. So we add the extra syllable to say:
bridges [brd z]

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[s]

Voiceless sounds that cause the plural s to be pronounced

as [s] include:
[p], [t], [k], [f]

Example

weeks [wiyks]

bits [bts]

backs [bks]

briefs [briyfs]

[z]

Voiced sounds that cause the plural s to be

pronounced as [z] include:

[b], [d], [g], [l], [r], [w], [m], [n], [v], [y]

Example

webs [wbz]

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beds [bdz]

bags [bgz]

bells [blz]

jars [jrz]

canoes [kNUWZ] | (note the [uw] vowel sound ends in a [w])

straws [strwz]

limbs [lmz]

fans [fnz]

doves [dvz]

delays [dLeYZ]

[z]

The sounds that cause the plural s to be pronounced

with an additional syllable [z] include:

[t] [d] [s] [z]

Example

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watches [WA tz]

bridges [BR dz]

judges [d dz]

slices [SlAiY sz]

blazes [BLeY zz]

Note

The sound of the plural [s] can be important to pronounce

accurately if it affects your being clearly understood. This is
especially important when you connect speechlinking sounds
in words together.

Listen and Repeat

Notice how I connect the plural s to the word that follows, and
how I de-stress the function words, such as transforming the of
into [], to create linking and music in my speech.

The dogs are eating at twelve.

There are bits of cake on the floor.

Judges always wear black in court.

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The slices of pizza got cold.

Please put the three bags in the hallway.

The delays at the airport werent so bad.

We are big fans of that type of music.

How many weeks until your trip?

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iTunes.

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