Have you ever tried to say these and ended up with zees? Or maybe you meant those but it came out sounding like dose? You’re not alone—English learners everywhere mix up /z/ and /ð/, and it can lead to some pretty confusing conversations!
In this lesson, we’ll dive into minimal pairs—pairs of words that differ only by these two sounds—to train your ears, sharpen your pronunciation, and help you feel confident saying those zebras instead of dose zebras.
How to Distinguish the /z/ vs. /ð/ Sounds?
In English, /z/ and /ð/ often trip learners up because they’re both voiced and feel similar in your mouth. Mastering this minimal pair will help you sound clearer and avoid mixing up everyday words.
What are/z/ and /ð/?
/z/
- The voiced “z” sound, as in zoo.
- Your tongue does NOT stick out; it is close to the ridge behind your upper teeth.
- Air flows through a narrow gap, creating buzzing.
/ð/
- The voiced “th” sound, as in this.
- Your tongue sticks out slightly between your teeth.
- Air flows over your tongue while your vocal cords vibrate.
Both are voiced sounds, so your throat vibrates when you say them.
The main difference is the tongue position.
How to Pronounce /z/ and /ð/?
/z/
The buzzing Z sound. Place your tongue close to the ridge behind your teeth but don’t stick it out. Feel the vibration: zzzz.
Look at this diagram to see how to shape your mouth when saying /z/.
Listen and notice how gently the /z/ sound begins “zoo.”
/ð/
The voiced TH sound. Place your tongue gently between your teeth. Let the air flow while your voice vibrates: ððð, like in this or that.
Look at this diagram to see how to shape your mouth when saying /ð/.
Listen for the clicking sound of /ð/ in “this.”
Minimal Pairs /z/ vs. /ð/ with Examples
| /z/ Word | /ð/ Word |
|---|---|
| these /ziːz/ | these /ðiːz/ (note: same spelling, but /ð/ occurs when preceded by determiner) |
| rays /reɪz/ | wreathe /rið/ |
| seethe /siːð/ | seize /siːz/ |
| clothe /kloʊð/ | close /kloʊz/ |
| those /ðoʊz/ | toes /toʊz/ |
Note: There are relatively few perfect minimal pairs with /z/ and /ð/ because /ð/ doesn’t occur in many positions. But close /kloʊz/ and clothe /kloʊð/ are a classic example.
Minimal Pairs /z/ and /ð/ List
There are very few true minimal pairs of /z/ vs. /ð/ in English.
| /z/ Word | IPA | /ð/ Word | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| close (verb) | /kloʊz/ | clothe | /kloʊð/ |
| seize | /siːz/ | seethe | /siːð/ |
| bays | /beɪz/ | bathe | /beɪð/ |
| rays | /reɪz/ | wreathe | /rið/ |
| maze | /meɪz/ | lathe | /leɪð/ |
| raise | /reɪz/ | wreathe | /rið/ |
| praise | /preɪz/ | bathe | /beɪð/ |
| phase | /feɪz/ | lathe | /leɪð/ |
| gaze | /ɡeɪz/ | bathe | /beɪð/ |
| nose | /noʊz/ | those | /ðoʊz/ |
| zip | /zɪp/ | this | /ðɪs/ |
| zone | /zoʊn/ | though | /ðoʊ/ |
| zeal | /ziːl/ | these | /ðiːz/ |
| zest | /zɛst/ | then | /ðɛn/ |
| zing | /zɪŋ/ | they | /ðeɪ/ |
| toes | /toʊz/ | those | /ðoʊz/ |
| zed | /zɛd/ | there | /ðɛər/ |
| tease | /tiːz/ | teethe | /tiːð/ |
| peas | /piːz/ | breathe | /brið/ |
Note: Perfect minimal pairs for /z/ and /ð/ are rare, because /ð/ (the voiced dental fricative) mostly occurs in function words (the, this, those) or certain verb forms (breathe, clothe). So in some pairs, the contrast comes from different forms or related words.