Lesson 3: Understanding S, Z, and TH Sounds

Welcome to your pronunciation lesson! Today, we will focus on the sounds of the consonants S, Z and TH. These sounds can be tricky for Ukrainian speakers, but with clear instructions and practice, you’ll master them quickly. Let’s dive in!

Sound Z Explanation

The sound Z is voiced, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you produce it. It often appears in words where S follows a voiced consonant or between vowels. It can also appear at the end of words.

Examples of Common Words with Z Sound:

        Verbs:

• Realize: [rɪəlaɪz]
• Advise: [ədˈvaɪz]
• Organize: [ˈɔːrɡənaɪz]

  Nouns:

• Prize: [praɪz]
• Noise: [nɔɪz]
• Quiz: [kwɪz]

  Adjectives:

• Busy: [ˈbɪzi]
• Crazy: [ˈkreɪzi]
• Lazy: [ˈleɪzi]

Additional Examples:

• Zoo
• Zero
• Breeze
• Freeze
• President
• Amazed
• Music
• Rise (the sun rises, prices rise)
• Razor (a small device with a sharp blade for removing hair, especially from the face or legs)
• Lizard (a small reptile that has a long body, four short legs, a long tail, and thick skin)

Sound S Explanation

The sound S is voiceless, meaning your vocal cords do not vibrate when you produce it. It often appears at the beginning of words, between vowels, and at the end of words.

Examples of Common Words with S Sound:

         Verbs:

• See: [siː]
• Send: [sɛnd]
• Pass: [pæs]

  Nouns:

• Sun: [sʌn]
• House: [haʊs]
• Grass: [ɡræs]

  Adjectives:

• Small: [smɔːl]
• Fast: [fæst]
• Basic: [ˈbeɪsɪk]

Additional Examples:

• Stop
• Soft
• Sister
• Ice
• Bus
• Speak
• Discuss
• Face
• Mouse
• Close

A Confusing Nuance

These examples highlight the flexibility and complexity of English, where context and grammatical function determine both meaning and pronunciation.

Pattern of these examples is that when you have a noun/adjective, it has sound S, when it’s a verb it has sound Z.

1. Use

• Noun: /juːs/ – sound S
  Example: The use of technology has increased in schools.
• Verb: /juːz/ – sound Z
  Example: She uses her laptop for work every day.

2. Excuse

• Noun: /ɪkˈskjuːs/ – sound S
  Example: He gave a valid excuse for being late.
• Verb: /ɪkˈskjuːz/ – sound Z
  Example: She excuses herself from the meeting to take a call.

3. House

• Noun: /haʊs/ – sound S
  Example: The house is located on a quiet street.
• Verb: /haʊz/ – sound Z
  Example: The museum houses a collection of ancient artifacts.

4. Close

• Adjective: /kloʊs/ (meaning nearby or intimate)
  Example: She lives close to me. She is my close friend.
• Verb: /kloʊz/ (to shut or bring something to an end)
  Example: I need to close the door.

More practice:

1. That’s just an excuse — I don’t believe it.
2. We should close the discussion now.
3. This knife has many different uses in the kitchen.
4. They decided to house the refugees temporarily.
5. The café is very close to my apartment.
6. I didn’t use his advice in the end.
7. She tried to excuse his behavior.
8. Their house was built in the 19th century.
9. You can’t close your eyes to the problem.
10. He always finds an excuse to leave early.
11. This device is easy to use.
12. The hotel can house up to 200 guests.
13. We became very close after that trip.
14. The use of smartphones has increased.
15. They live in a small house near the forest.
16. Please excuse the mess in the room.

These examples don’t have a clear pattern, so try to remember that the words below have sound Z.

Similar case but these examples have sound S.

1. Promise

• Noun: /ˈprɒmɪs/

  Example: He made a promise to call her every day.

• Verb: /ˈprɒmɪs/

  Example: She promises to complete the assignment by tomorrow.

2. Increase

• Noun: /ˈɪnkriːs/

  Example: There was a sudden increase in sales last month.

• Verb: /ɪnˈkriːs/

  Example: The company increases its production during the holiday season.

3. Chase

• Noun: /tʃeɪs/

  Example: The chase lasted for hours, but they finally caught the thief.

• Verb: /tʃeɪs/

  Example: The dog chases the ball across the yard.

More practice:

1. They plan to increase production next year.
2. That was a complete surprise.
3. I try to exercise every morning.
4. She always praises her team in public.
5. His salary saw a significant increase.
6. The children love to chase each other in the yard.
7. This puzzle will exercise your brain.
8. She kept her promise.
9. Don’t promise things you can’t deliver.
10. He received a lot of praise for his work.
11. They decided to increase the price.
12. The ending of the movie was a big surprise.
13. The dog began to chase the ball.
14. Regular exercise is important for your health.
15. He made a promise to call her.
16. Her teacher will praise her effort.

Practice Makes Perfect

Sentences to Practice 1:

1. The zoo has many amazing animals.
2. Please organize the files in the correct order.
3. She won a prize for her excellent performance.
4. His recommendation helped me a lot.
5. The noise out there was too loud.
6. He realized his mistake and apologized.
7. We need to analyze the data carefully.
8. The quiz was quite challenging.
9. The breeze was gentle and cool.
10. They plan to visit the museum on Saturday.

Sentences to Practice 2:

1. The sun is shining brightly today.
2. She sent me a postcard from Paris.
3. The house is painted blue.
4. He runs fast in the race.
5. The small dog barked loudly.
6. Please pass the salt.
7. The grass is wet after the rain.
8. I need to see the doctor.
9. The ice melted quickly in the heat.
10. They stopped by the store on their way home.

Sentences to Practice 3:

1. The busy bee buzzed around the garden.
2. She sings beautifully in the choir. (A choir /ˈkwaɪ.ɚ/ is a group of singers who perform together)
3. The breeze made the leaves rustle.
4. He missed the bus to school.
5. The quiz has twenty questions.
6. The small cat chased the mouse.
7. We need to discuss the project details.
8. He closed the door softly.
9. She wears glasses to see better.
10. The noise in the city never stops.

Sound TH Explanation

The TH sound in English has two different pronunciations: voiced (as in “this”) and voiceless (as in “think”).

Voiced TH (/ð/):

• Produced with vocal cord vibration.
• Examples: this, that, these, those, mother, father, brother, they, though, with.

Voiceless TH (/θ/):

• Produced without vocal cord vibration.
• Examples: think, thought, bath, path, both, thing, three, thank, thief, thick

Keep in mind the difference between TH and F

• TH (/θ/ or /ð/): The tip of the tongue is placed between the teeth.
  • Examples: think, this
• F (/f/): The bottom lip is placed against the upper teeth.
  • Examples: fan, fake

Sounds S, Z, Th Sentences Practice

1. Sarah loves to listen to jazz music while browsing her favorite websites.
2. The sun sets behind the horizon, casting a fuzzy glow over the scenery.
3. Please advise me on the best way to organize my schedule.
4. This morning, I thought about my brother and sister.
5. I thank you for the thoughtful gift you gave the other day.
6. They walked through the path to see the thick forest.
7. The thin layer of ice on the pond began to melt under the sun.
8. The athlete finished the race with a fantastic time.
9. Three friends took a fun trip to the famous theme park.
10. Steven enjoyed the fresh air while sitting on the sofa in the sunroom.
11. Sophia carefully selected a scarf for her new outfit.
12. Sam and Frank set off to find the secret garden.
13. The zebra and the giraffe grazed together in the field.
14. Freddy realized he had forgotten to call his cousin about the family reunion.
15. The fuzzy cat enjoys napping in the sunlight by the window.

Speaking Practice

Personal Favorites:

1. What’s your favorite zoo animal and why?
2. Do you prefer sunny days or rainy days?
3. What is your favorite type of music to listen to?

Hobbies & Interests:

1. Do you enjoy organizing events or gatherings?
2. What keeps you busy on weekends?
3. Do you like solving quizzes and puzzles?

Experiences and Adventures:

1. Have you ever visited a famous museum? Which one?
2. Have you ever been to a theatre? How was it?
3. Have you ever been to a place that took your breath away?

Funny and Light-hearted:

1. If you could travel through time, where would you go first?
2. Can you think of a time when you learned something new and exciting?
3. What’s something you’d like to achieve before your next birthday?

Thought-provoking:

1. Do you think people are inherently good or bad?
2. What do you think is the most important quality in a leader?
3. If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be?

Listening practice

Thought-provoking Statements

1. Do you think technology brings people closer together or drives them apart?
2. Is it more important to be respected or liked? Why?
3. What role does luck play in success?
4. How would you define true happiness?

Tongue twisters

1. Close the door closely.
2. Increasing ice increases the chill.
3. I promise to keep this promise.
4. Excuse me for making so many excuses.

Conclusion of Lesson 3: Mastering the American S, Z, and TH Sounds

Today, we’ve covered the essential aspects of the S, Z, and TH sounds in American English. Understanding these sounds and practicing them regularly will greatly improve your pronunciation and clarity in everyday communication. Keep practicing, stay curious, and don’t hesitate to revisit these lessons as needed. Great job, everyone!