How many pronunciations of the plural s are there in English?
There are actually three possible pronunciations of these two endings on plural nouns, third person singular verbs, contractions, and possessives: /s/, /z/, and /ɪz/.
What determines whether the pronunciation of the plural morpheme is S z or IZ /?
The answer to the question of a final /s/, /z/ or /Iz/ sound all has to do with the sound that precedes it. To understand this, one first has to understand the concept of VOICED and UNVOICED consonants in English. A voiced consonant sound is one in which the vocal cords vibrate. For example, /z/.
What is the phonological rule that determines which S version is used?
In American English, the sound of “s” depends on which sound comes before it. 1. If the noun ends in an unvoiced consonant sound: /f/, /k/, /p/, /t/, /th/-(thin), pronounce “s” as /s/. 2.
Why do we add S to the third person?
Originally Answered: Why do we have to add an ‘s’ to singular verbs? The ‘s’ in singular verbs indicates third person: he, she, it. In Standard English, you must add this ‘s’ because it indicates you are talking about he, she, or it: the third person in grammar.
Why does S sound like Z?
When the letter ‘s’ is after a vowel, another ‘s’, or a voiced consonant, it is pronounced as a /z/ sound. The third reason means you have to practice saying the 2 consonants together so you don’t leave the /s/ and /z/ out because your mouth isn’t used to moving this way. This takes time and practice.
How is the S sound pronounced?
The ‘s sound’ /s/ is unvoiced (the vocal cords do not vibrate during its production), and is the counterpart to the voiced ‘z sound’ /z/. To create the /s/, the front of the tongue is placed close to the tooth ridge. The tip of the tongue should be close to the upper backside of the top front teeth.
How do you pronounce the plural of S?
1. The -s plural ending is pronounced like /z/ after voiced sounds. This means that if the ending of the noun is voiced – if you can feel your larynx vibrate at the end of the noun you pronounce – it has the /z/ sound. Some examples are: dads, moms, boys, girls, rooms, dogs, schools, days, years, lives.
Why is s sometimes pronounced as z?
Do you pronounce the s after an apostrophe?
If you simply add an apostrophe, the pronunciation does not change, but if you add apostrophe ‘s’ (‘s), the possessive is pronounced /iz/.
What are the different ways of pronouncing plural nouns?
There are actually three possible pronunciations of these two endings on plural nouns, third person singular verbs, contractions, and possessives: /s/, /z/, and /ɪz/. The -s suffix and ‘s contraction can be tricky for non-native English speakers, so let’s go back to basics.
What is the difference between singular and plural possessive and plural?
The singular possessive has the apostrophe before the s; the plural has the apostrophe after the s. The final sound for both is [z], and the word is pronounced [boyz]. Rules for the pronunciation of possessives of nouns are the same as those for noun plurals and for verbs in the third person singular, present tense.
How do you say the plural of s?
Just like the -ed ending, there are three ways of saying the plural “s” ending in English: When we say the plural of two basic words in English: “cat s ” [kæt s] with an [s]. “dog s ” [dɑwg z] with a [z]. Why does the sound of the plural “s” change?
How do you pronounce the plural of ‘dog’?
I believe this is nearly correct. There is no distinction in pronunciation between the plural, the possessive, and the possessive of a plural. So dogs, dog’s, and dogs’ are all pronounced the same. If the singular ends with an s, z, sh, zh, ch or j sound, however, you add /ɪz/ in the plural pronunciation, as you say.