How to pronounce /s/ in English

Final consonants

How to practise

1. Read the word slowly and hold the last sound for a beat: "bus-sss", "five-vvv".
2. When the next word starts with a vowel, carry the last sound over to it: "like_it" sounds like "lai-kit".
3. Record yourself and listen only to the ends of the words.

Easily confused words

• buy · bike
• why · white
• row · rose
• lie · life
• bee · beef

-s endings

• You said /s/ where the ending is /z/. After a voiced sound, let your voice keep humming into the ending: "dog-zzz".

How to practise

1. Decide which of the three sounds the ending takes, using the table.
2. Say the ending clearly, even when the word is short: "cats", not "cat".
3. Before a word that starts with a vowel, link it: "cats_are".

Easily confused words

• cat · cats
• play · plays
• watch · watches
• book · books
• dog · dogs

Final clusters

• A vowel slipped in between the consonants. Keep the whole cluster in one syllable.

How to practise

1. Split the cluster and practise the parts: "desk" = "des" + "k".
2. Join them again slowly, then speed up.
3. Do not put a vowel between the consonants: "desk", never "des-kuh".

Easily confused words

• guess · guest
• miss · mist
• ban · band
• Ben · bend
• bus · bust

Opening clusters

• A vowel slipped in between the consonants. Glide straight from one to the next.

How to practise

1. Build the word from the end of the cluster: "eat" → "treat" → "street".
2. Keep the whole cluster in one syllable, with no gap between the consonants.
3. Never add a vowel at the front or in the middle: "street", not "suh-treet".

Easily confused words

• pay · play
• rain · train
• port · sport
• cool · school
• top · stop