In this page, you’ll discover how /s/ (the voiceless alveolar fricative) and /z/ (the voiced alveolar fricative) are formed, how to hear the contrast, and how to practice them with real examples.
How to Distinguish the /s/ and /z/ Sounds?
What Are /s/ and /z/?
These are two similar consonant sounds:
| Feature | /s/ | /z/ |
|---|---|---|
| Voicing | Voiceless (no vocal cord vibration) | Voiced (vocal cords vibrate) |
| Place of Articulation | Alveolar (tongue near the ridge behind your teeth) | Alveolar (same place) |
| Manner of Articulation | Fricative (air passes through a narrow gap) | Fricative |
How to Pronounce /s/ and /z/
/s/
- Put the tip of your tongue close to your alveolar ridge.
- Push air out without using your vocal cords.
- Example: see /siː/
Look at the picture to see how wide your jaw should drop for /s/.
Press play and observe how the /s/ sound softens in “sun.”
/z/
- Same tongue position.
- Use your vocal cords (feel the vibration).
- Example: zoo /zuː/
Study this picture to notice how your lips should move for /z/.
Listen carefully to catch how long the /z/ sound lasts in “zoo.”
Tip: Touch your throat:
-
Say “ssss”—no vibration.
-
Say “zzzz”—feel the buzz.
Minimal Pairs /s/ vs. /z/ with Examples
| /s/ | /z/ |
|---|---|
| sip /sɪp/ | zip /zɪp/ |
| seal /siːl/ | zeal /ziːl/ |
| bus /bʌs/ | buzz /bʌz/ |
| race /reɪs/ | raise /reɪz/ |
| dose /doʊs/ | doze /doʊz/ |
| face /feɪs/ | phase /feɪz/ |
| ice /aɪs/ | eyes /aɪz/ |
| price /praɪs/ | prize /praɪz/ |
| peace /piːs/ | peas /piːz/ |
| place /pleɪs/ | plays /pleɪz/ |
| bus /bʌs/ | buzz /bʌz/ |
| mouse /maʊs/ | mouths /maʊz/ |
| advice /ədˈvaɪs/ | advise /ədˈvaɪz/ |
| loose /luːs/ | lose /luːz/ |
| mass /mæs/ | maze /meɪz/ |
Many learners confuse /s/ and /z/ because:
-
They are made with almost the same mouth position.
-
They often occur between vowels or at the ends of words.
Practicing them helps:
-
Improve your clarity.
-
Avoid confusion between words like ice and eyes, bus and buzz.
-
Sound more natural and confident.
Minimal Pairs /s/ and /z/ List
| /s/ Word | /z/ Word |
|---|---|
| sip /sɪp/ | zip /zɪp/ |
| seal /siːl/ | zeal /ziːl/ |
| bus /bʌs/ | buzz /bʌz/ |
| dose /doʊs/ | doze /doʊz/ |
| race /reɪs/ | raise /reɪz/ |
| face /feɪs/ | phase /feɪz/ |
| ice /aɪs/ | eyes /aɪz/ |
| price /praɪs/ | prize /praɪz/ |
| peace /piːs/ | peas /piːz/ |
| place /pleɪs/ | plays /pleɪz/ |
| loose /luːs/ | lose /luːz/ |
| mass /mæs/ | maze /meɪz/ |
| pass /pæs/ | paz /pæz/ (rare) |
| mice /maɪs/ | mys /maɪz/ (rare) |
| dice /daɪs/ | dies /daɪz/ |
| lease /liːs/ | lees /liːz/ |
| lice /laɪs/ | lies /laɪz/ |
| base /beɪs/ | bays /beɪz/ |
| boss /bɒs/ | boz /bɒz/ (rare) |
| gas /ɡæs/ | jazz /dʒæz/ |
| cease /siːs/ | seize /siːz/ |
| gross /ɡroʊs/ | grows /ɡroʊz/ |
| miss /mɪs/ | miz /mɪz/ (rare) |
| vice /vaɪs/ | vies /vaɪz/ |
| use /juːs/ | use /juːz/ (noun vs. verb) |
| close /kloʊs/ | close /kloʊz/ (adj. vs. verb) |
| pace /peɪs/ | pays /peɪz/ |
| toss /tɒs/ | toze /toʊz/ (rare) |
| glass /ɡlæs/ | glaze /ɡleɪz/ |
| press /pres/ | prez /prez/ (slang) |
| fuse /fjuːs/ | fuse /fjuːz/ (noun vs. verb) |
| fuss /fʌs/ | fuzz /fʌz/ |
🎯 Note:
Some words like kiz, mys, boz, toze are less common or derived forms (e.g., plurals, colloquial). They’re included to illustrate the /s/–/z/ contrast consistently. For daily practice, focus on the more familiar words first (like bus/buzz, ice/eyes, peace/peas, dose/doze).