How to pronounce words ending in S - Pronunciation of final S in English

Summary

In this video by WouldWould English, Rob teaches the three pronunciations of the letter 'S' at the end of English words: /ɪz/ as in 'buses', /s/ as in 'books', and /z/ as in 'words'. The pronunciation depends on whether the final sound of the word is sibilant, voiceless, or voiced. The video explains voiced and voiceless sounds, using examples to illustrate the rules. Viewers learn to identify and pronounce the final 'S' correctly in various contexts. The lesson includes practice examples and tips for mastering these pronunciations.

Takeaways

• 📚 English has various pronunciations for the 's' at the end of words, depending on the context: plural nouns, third-person singular verbs, and possessive nouns.
• 🎵 The final 's' can be pronounced in three different ways: as 'iz', 's', or 'z', reflecting different phonetic rules.
• 🔊 Voiced sounds are produced with vocal cord vibration, such as in the letter 'L', whereas voiceless sounds come from the mouth area without vibration, like 'P'.
• 👄 Sibilant sounds are produced by forcing air through the teeth, characterized by a hissing or buzzing sound, like 'shh'.
• 🏁 If a word ends in a sibilant sound, the final 's' is pronounced as an extra syllable, making it sound like 'iz'.
• 🚫 When the last consonant of a word is voiceless, the final 's' is pronounced as a 's' sound, as in 'sleeps' or 'books'.
• 🔊 For words ending in a voiced sound, the final 's' is pronounced as a 'z' sound, reflecting the use of vocal cords, like in 'crabs' or 'plays'.
• 📝 Words ending in a vowel also use the voiced 'z' pronunciation for the final 's', such as 'play' becoming 'plays'.
• 📑 The pronunciation of the final 's' in English is contingent on the final consonant sound of the word.
• 📚 Listening to example sentences can help in understanding the correct pronunciation of words ending in 's'.
• 👍 The video encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and enable notifications for new content to improve English pronunciation.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the pronunciation of the letter 's' at the end of words in English.

What are the three different pronunciations of the final 's' in English words mentioned in the script?

The three different pronunciations of the final 's' are: as a 'z' sound, as an 's' sound, and as a voiced 's' sound similar to 'iz'.

What is the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds?

Voiced sounds use the vocal cords and produce a humming or vibration in the throat, while voiceless sounds come from the mouth area and do not involve the vocal cords.

How can you tell if a sound is voiced by feeling your throat?

You can tell if a sound is voiced by placing your fingers on your throat and pronouncing the sound; if you feel a vibration, it is a voiced sound.

What is a sibilant sound and how is it produced?

A sibilant sound is produced by forcing air out through your teeth and is characterized by a hissing or buzzing sound, like the 'shh' sound made to indicate quietness.

How does the pronunciation of the final 's' change if the word ends with a sibilant sound?

If a word ends with a sibilant sound, the final 's' is pronounced as an additional syllable with an 'iz' sound, making the word plural have two syllables instead of one.

Give an example of a word that ends with a voiceless sound and how its plural form is pronounced.

The word 'sleep' ends with a voiceless sound and its plural form 'sleeps' is pronounced with an additional 's' sound, making it rhyme with 'leaps'.

What is the pronunciation of the final 's' in words that end with a voiced sound?

In words that end with a voiced sound, the final 's' is pronounced as a voiced 'z' sound.

How do you pronounce the final 's' in words ending with a vowel sound?

In words ending with a vowel sound, the final 's' is pronounced with a voiced 'z' sound, as in 'play' becoming 'plays'.

What is the purpose of the exercises provided at the end of the script?

The purpose of the exercises is to allow viewers to practice and test their understanding of the different pronunciations of the final 's' in various English words.

What action does the script encourage viewers to take after watching the video?

The script encourages viewers to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with new videos that can help improve their English.

Outlines

00:00

📚 English Pronunciation of Final 'S'

This paragraph introduces the topic of the pronunciation of the letter 's' at the end of English words. It explains that 's' can be pronounced in three different ways depending on the context: as a 'z' sound in plural nouns like 'buses', as an 's' sound in third-person singular verbs like 'sleeps', and as a 'z' sound in possessive nouns like 'Alice's'. The paragraph also discusses the distinction between voiced and voiceless sounds, using the vocal chords for voiced sounds and the mouth for voiceless sounds, and introduces the concept of sibilant sounds, which are produced by forcing air through the teeth, creating a hissing or buzzing sound.

05:02

🗣️ Pronunciation Rules for Final 'S'

This paragraph delves deeper into the pronunciation rules for the final 's' in English words. It categorizes words into three groups based on the final sound: words ending in a sibilant sound where 's' is added as an extra syllable (e.g., 'race' to 'races'), words ending in a voiceless sound where 's' is pronounced as a separate 's' sound (e.g., 'sleep' to 'sleeps'), and words ending in a voiced sound or a vowel where 's' is pronounced as a 'z' sound (e.g., 'crab' to 'crabs'). The paragraph provides examples for each category and emphasizes the importance of the final consonant sound in determining the pronunciation of the final 's'.

10:03

📝 Practice and Summary of 'S' Pronunciation

The final paragraph of the script offers a practical exercise for viewers to practice the pronunciation of the final 's' in various words, with a brief pause for viewers to consider the correct pronunciation. It then summarizes the key points of the video, reminding viewers that the pronunciation of the final 's' depends on the nature of the final consonant sound in the word. The paragraph concludes with a call to action, encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and enable notifications for more English learning content.

Keywords

💡Sibilant sounds

Sibilant sounds are characterized by a hissing or buzzing sound, produced by forcing air through the teeth. In the script, words like 'race' and 'bus' end in a sibilant sound, and when an 's' is added, it is pronounced as 'is', creating an extra syllable. For example, 'race' becomes 'races'.

💡Voiced sounds

Voiced sounds involve the vibration of the vocal cords, producing a humming sound. In the video, examples of voiced sounds include the 'b' in 'crab' and the 'l' in 'falls'. When a word ends in a voiced sound, the final 's' is pronounced as 'z', such as 'crabs' and 'falls'.

💡Voiceless sounds

Voiceless sounds, also known as unvoiced sounds, do not involve the vibration of the vocal cords and come from the mouth area. Examples from the script include 'p' in 'sleep' and 'f' in 'laugh'. Words ending in a voiceless sound have the final 's' pronounced as 's', like in 'sleeps' and 'laughs'.

💡Plural nouns

Plural nouns are words that signify more than one item or entity. In the script, examples include 'buses', 'books', and 'words'. The pronunciation of the final 's' in plural nouns varies depending on whether the noun ends in a sibilant, voiced, or voiceless sound.

💡Third-person singular verbs

Third-person singular verbs in the simple present tense end in 's' or 'es' and are used with he, she, or it. Examples from the video are 'watches', 'sleeps', and 'plays'. The pronunciation of the final 's' depends on the ending sound of the verb.

💡Possessive nouns

Possessive nouns show ownership and typically end in an apostrophe followed by 's', such as 'Alice's', 'Mike's', and 'Mary's'. In these cases, the final 's' is pronounced as 'is', adding an extra syllable.

💡Final 's' pronunciation

The pronunciation of the final 's' in English words varies based on the sound that precedes it. It can be pronounced as 'is' for sibilant sounds, 's' for voiceless sounds, or 'z' for voiced sounds. This differentiation helps in accurate pronunciation and understanding of English words.

💡Voiced vs. voiceless sounds

The distinction between voiced and voiceless sounds is crucial for pronouncing the final 's'. Voiced sounds produce a vibration in the throat, while voiceless sounds do not. This difference determines whether the final 's' is pronounced as 'z' or 's'.

💡Examples of final 's' pronunciation

Examples help illustrate the rules for final 's' pronunciation. 'Buses' and 'watches' end in sibilant sounds, so the 's' is pronounced as 'is'. 'Books' and 'sleeps' end in voiceless sounds, so the 's' is pronounced as 's'. 'Words' and 'plays' end in voiced sounds, so the 's' is pronounced as 'z'.

💡Vowel sounds and final 's'

When a word ends in a vowel sound, the final 's' is pronounced as 'z'. Examples from the script include 'plays', 'sees', and 'tries'. This rule helps maintain the natural flow and rhythm of speech in English.

Highlights

Learning about the pronunciation of 's' at the end of words in English.

Different pronunciations of 's' in plural nouns, third-person singular verbs, and possessive nouns.

Final 's' pronounced as 'iz' in words like 'buses', 'watches', and 'Alice's'.

Final 's' pronounced as 's' in words like 'books', 'sleeps', and 'mics'.

Final 's' pronounced as 'z' in words like 'words', 'plays', and 'Mary's'.

Understanding the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds.

Voiced sounds produce a vibration in the throat, like the 'L' sound.

Voiceless sounds come from the mouth area, like the 'P' sound.

Sibilant sounds are produced by forcing air out through the teeth, creating a hissing or buzzing sound.

Final 's' pronounced as 'iz' after sibilant sounds, making an extra syllable.

Examples of words ending in sibilant sounds and their plural forms.

Final 's' pronounced as 's' after voiceless consonants, like in 'sleeps' and 'books'.

Examples of words ending in voiceless sounds and their pronunciation.

Final 's' pronounced as 'z' after voiced sounds, like in 'crabs' and 'bags'.

Words ending in a vowel also use the voiced 'z' pronunciation for the final 's'.

Summary of the three pronunciations of the final 's' in English words.

Example sentences to practice the pronunciation of words ending in 's'.

Interactive exercise to test the understanding of final 's' pronunciation.

Encouragement to subscribe and enable notifications for new English learning videos.

Transcripts

hi it's rob here from wouldwould English

today we're going to learn about the

pronunciation of s at the end of words

in English

[Music]

in English there are many words that end

in s there are regular plural nouns such

as buses books and words

there are third-person singular verbs in

the simple present tense watches sleeps

plays

there are also possessive nouns which

end in an apostrophe s Alice's Mike's

Mary's

now did you notice how the final s was

pronounced in three different ways

how was the final is pronounced in the

first column buses watches Alice's

the S sounds like is

slashes on either side of is refer to

the broad transcription or way of

writing the pronunciation of a word

versus watch is Alice's

how is the final is pronounced in the

second column books sleeps mics

these sounds like an S orange sound

books sleeps mics how is the final is

pronounced in the third column words

plays marries this sounds like a Z or Z

which is a buzzing sound words plays

Mary's

why do we pronounce the S at the end of

words in three different ways

well first we need to learn the

difference between voiced sounds and

voiceless sounds also known as unvoiced

sounds a voiced sound means it uses the

vocal chords and produces a humming

sound or a vibration here in the throat

when you say them put your fingers on

your throat and pronounce the letter L

you notice this you can feel a slight

vibration here hmm that is because it is

a voiced sound a voiceless sound

sometimes called an unvoiced sound is

when there is no vibration in the throat

is because it becomes from the mouth

area for example if we pronounce the

letter P pair it comes from the mouth

area P it doesn't come from here like

pet it doesn't come from here it comes

from the mouth pit so that P is an

unvoiced sound

try this with the other letters and then

you will feel a difference between

voiced and unvoiced sounds for example

the F sound where does that come from

it comes from the front of your mouth so

it is also an unvoiced sound or

voiceless sound how about the n sound

mm-hmm

you can feel a slight vibration here so

it is a voiced sound

mmm about the Z sound or the Z sound you

can feel the vibration here so that

letter is also a voiced sound another

sound that we need to know is the

sibilance sound which is produced by

forcing air out through your teeth it is

characterized by the hissing sound or a

buzzing sound also the sound that

someone makes

when they want you to be quiet Shh those

are sibilant sounds now we know the

difference between voiced/unvoiced and

sibilant sounds we can learn the correct

pronunciation of the final s at the end

or words in English the first group is

of words that end in a sibilant sound a

sibilant sound is a hissing or buzzing

sound with these words the final s is

pronounced as is this is sound is

pronounced as an extra syllable

for example the word race ends in a

sibilant sound a/c race you can hear the

hissing at the end of the word race so

when we add an S to the end of the word

and plural it becomes races

notice how race is one syllable and

races is two syllables

let's look at some words that end in a

sibilant sound

[Music]

race becomes races bus becomes buses

box boxes prize prizes kiss kisses watch

watches

dish dishes change changes so if the

word ends in a sibilant sound then you

add that is sound to the end

the next group are the words that end in

a voiceless sound a voiceless sound is

when the vocal cords do not vibrate as

the sound comes from the mouth and not

the throat

if the last consonant of the word ends

in a voiceless sound like that peon

sleep then the S is pronounced as an S

or sound so sleep becomes sleeps

let's go through the list and pay

attention to the sound of the yes at the

end

sleeps

books hats cliffs laughs the gh air is

pronounced like an F so it is laughs

graphs the pH here also sounds like an F

graphs

these words end in a voiceless consonant

so they all end in an S or sound

the third group contains words that end

in a voiced sound a voiced sound uses

the vocal cords and they produce a

vibration or humming sound in the throat

if the last letter of the word ends in a

voiced sound like the bien crab but is a

voice sound so the yes is pronounced as

a sound so crab becomes crabs

let's go through the list and pay

attention to the sound of the final s

crabs words bags Falls dreams

fans sings wears gloves they all end in

a sound

also when a word ends in a vowel sound

we also use the voiced pronunciation for

the final s for example play ends in an

a sound so play becomes plays C becomes

C's try becomes tries follow becomes

follows continue becomes continues

so in summary there are three ways of

pronouncing the S at the end of a word

in English the pronunciation of words

ending in s depends on the final

consonant sound

so let's look at some example sentences

listen to the pronunciation of the words

ending in S

all of the prizes are in the boxes

he reads books about hats

butler's wear white gloves

it's listen again at normal speed all of

the prizes are in the boxes he reads

books about heads Butler's wear white

gloves

how do you pronounce the final s and the

following words the answers will appear

in five seconds click pause if you need

more time

one pauses

- ends

three bridges

for sings

five cups

six reaches

seven students 8p

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improve your English have an awesome day