Foreigners! Looking to improve your English at a stroke?

Get right the difference between the -S and -Z sounds.

This does not apply only to words ending in -s (usually plural nouns or present tense verbs), but that’s a good place to start to grasp the distinction.

Thus. The sounds of words ending in – T – K – CK – P – F – Th when an -s is added are all pronounced SSS

Catsss

Backsss

Yaksss

Topsss

Doffsss

Coughsss

Mythsss

Why? Because just try pronouncing them with a z sound. It’s almost impossible and/or sounds clunky.

EVERYTHING else is pronounced ZZZ

Dogzzz

Eyezzz

Nosezzz

Computerzzz

Facezzz

Sayzzz

Demandzzz

Fizzezzz

Bleedzzz

Carzzz

Pigzzz

Henzzz

Thumbzzz

Massezzz

Venuezzz

Cavezzz

Cowzzz

Foxezzz

Piezzz

Pizzazzz

Jazzezzz

Soundzzz

Wordzzz

Foreignerzzz

And so on. It applies within wordzzz too. See eg mysssteriousss and mysssteriezzz. Choozzzezzz

Native English speakerzzz never get thisss wrong. Get it right and your spoken English izzz transformed. Yesss!