Fricatives
How to pronounce /z/ Z as in zoo
zoobusyjobs
How to make it
The same narrow channel as S, but with your voice on.
- Tongue
- Tip near the ridge, narrow channel
- Lips
- Slightly spread
- Voice
- Buzzing on
Watch the mouth
Same shape as S, but switch your voice on.
Where learners slip
- Vietnamese speakersFinal Z is often dropped or devoiced.
- Spanish speakersOften devoiced to /s/ — zoo can land as sue.
- Korean speakersOften replaced by /dʒ/ — zoo can land as joo.
- Chinese speakersFinal Z is often dropped — jobs can land as job.
- Thai speakersOften replaced by /s/ — zoo can land as sue.
- Indonesian speakersOften replaced by /s/ — zoo can land as sue.
- German speakersFinal Z is devoiced to /s/ — jobs can land as jops.
Say it on real English. See if it lands.
Lang Shadow scores /z/ every time you say it — in Shorts, in role plays and in your own words — and colours it next to the other 40 sounds.