LISTEN
listen_to_-s-.mp3
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/s/…/s/…/s/…/s/…
​
sit…race…still…lesson

WHAT IS IT?
​Pronunciation: 
The consonant /s/ is a voiceless, alveolar, fricative consonant. 
  • Touch your alveolar ridge (the hard space behind your upper teeth) with the tip of your tongue.
  • Breathe out and let air escape your mouth. This should create a hissing sound.
  • Your vocal cords should not vibrate.
 
The sound /s/ can be part of these consonant clusters: 
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
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s_initial_clusters.mp3
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​/sp/ ("sp")- spin
/sl/ ("sl")- slip
/st/ ("st") - stare
/sk/ ("sk" / “sc”) - skate, scare
​/sw/  ("sw") - swim
​/sm/  ("sm") - smile
/sn/ ("sn") - snow
/spl/ ("spl") - split
/spr/ ("spr") - spring
/str/ ("str") - street
/skw/ (“squ”) - squid
s_final_clusters.mp3
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​/sp/ ("sp")- wasp
/sps/ ("sps") - lisps
/st/ ("st") - lost
/sts/ ("sts") - hosts
/sk/ ("sk")- task
​​​/ks/ ("ks" / "cks" / “x”) - looks, tucks, fax
/sks/ ("sks") - masks
/ŋks/ ("nks") - thinks
/lks/ ("lks") - silks​
/ts/ ("ts" / "tts") - hits, watts
/lts/ ('lts") - melts​
/nts/ ("nts") - pants
/sts/ ("sts") - nests
​ ("mps") - lumps
​/fs/  ("fs" / "ffs") - proofs, sniffs
​​/ps/ ("ps" /"pes" / "pps" / "ppes") - lips, hopes, apps, steppes
/lps/ ("lps") - helps
/mps/
/lfs/ ("lfs") - gulfs
/θs/ ("ths") - breaths
/dθs/ (“dths”) - widths
/ndθs/ (“dths”) - thousandths
/fθs/ ("fths") - fifths
/lfθs/ ("lfths") - twelfths
/tθs/ (“ths”) - eighths
/ksθ/ ("xth") - sixth
/ksθs/ ("xths") - sixths

​Spelling: ​
  • “s” – son, post
  • ”se” - house, base
  • “ss” – miss, lesson
  • “c” (+ i/y/e) – cinnamon, ceremony
  • "ce" - once​​, place
  • “sc” (+ i/y/e) – scissors, scene
  • "st" (not common) - listen, hasten

Note: The spelling "x" (as in fix, boxes, Mexico) is pronounced /ks/.
 
Grammar Tip:
The “-s” ending is used to mark plural nouns, possessive nouns, and present tense 3rd person singular verbs. The “-s” ending is pronounced /s/ after most voiceless consonants (/p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /θ/).
grammar_-s-.mp3
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  • Plural nouns: cats, books
  • Possessive nouns: Matt’s book, Denmark’s capital
  • 3rd person singular verbs: he laughs, she helps

COMPARE
Compare /s/ with /z/:
compare_s-z_1.mp3
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/s/…/z/…/s/…/z/…/s/…/z/…

These sounds are both alveolar, fricative consonants. However, /s/ is a voiceless consonant and /z/ is a voiced consonant. If you are pronouncing /s/, your vocal cords should not vibrate. At the end of a word, the vowel before /s/ will be shorter than the vowel before /z/.
You can hear the difference between /s/ and /z/ in these words.
compare_s-z_words.mp3
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1. A. sip, B. zip
2. A. sue, B. zoo
3. A. bus, B. buzz
4. A. loose, B. lose
5. A. pierce, B. peers
6. A. doses, B. dozes​​

​Practice recognizing words with /s/ and /z/ by taking this quiz.

​Now, compare /s/ and /ʃ/:
compare_s-sh_1.mp3
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/s/…/ʃ/…/s/…/ʃ/…/s/…/ʃ/…

These are both voiceless, fricative consonants. However, /s/ is an alveolar fricative and /ʃ/ is an alveo-palatal fricative. When you pronounce /s/, your tongue is slightly farther forward than when you pronounce /ʃ/.
You can hear the difference between /s/ and /ʃ/ in these words.
compare_s-sh_words.mp3
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2. ​A. sowed, B. showed
1. A. sip, B. ship
3. A. mass, B. mash
4. A. rust, B. rushed
5. A. leases, B. leashes
6. A. parcel, B. partial

​Practice recognizing words with /s/ and /ʃ/ by taking this quiz.

PRACTICE
Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-s-.mp3
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1. south
2. scope
3. sleep
4. space
5. street
6. spring
7. smile
8. guess
9. desk
10. last
11. tops
12. lets
13. message
14. aspect
15. escape
16. interesting
17. especially
18. astronomy
19. mistaken
20. distrust

​Now, practice /s/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-s-.mp3
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1. sent – message – person
​I sent the message to the wrong person.
2. cross – street – intersection
You should cross the street at the intersection.
3. missed – last – asleep
I missed your call last night because I was asleep.
4. astronomers – study – space
Astronomers study outer space.
5. looks – outside – snowy
The weather outside looks snowy.
6. class – meets -  six (x = /ks/)
Our class meets at six​ o'clock.

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:

USE IT!
Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

​Prepare:
What can you do to reduce stress? Look at the suggestions below and decide how they might help someone reduce stress.
  • Listen to music
  • Get a massage
  • Join a religious activity
  • Practice yoga
  • Go to a spa
  • Go to the cinema
  • ​Try a new recipe
  • Walk outside
  • Start a new project
  • Sleep
  • Get some exercise
  • Go swimming
  • Listen to music
  • Get a massage
  • Join a religious activity
  • Practice yoga
  • Go to a spa
  • Go to the cinema​
  • ​Try a new recipe
  • Walk outside
  • Start a new project
  • Sleep
  • Get some exercise
  • Go swimming

Record:
​Imagine you are giving a presentation to students about how they can reduce stress. In your recording, describe 4 of the suggestions above and explain how each one can help students reduce stress.

©2018-2021, Christine Wingate