Pronunciation - Plural nouns / 3rd person 's'

The -(e)s of the verb in 3º person in the present simple is pronounced as /s/ after:
  • /k/ eg like /laɪk/ - likes /laɪks/
  • /p/ eg stop /stɒp/ -  stops /stɒps/
  • /f/ eg laugh /lɑːf/ - laughs /lɑːfs/
  • /t/ eg write /raɪt/ - writes /raɪts/
and it is the same for regular plural nouns:
  • /k/ eg a tick /tɪk/ - ticks /tɪks/
  • /p/ eg a trip /trɪp/ - trips /trɪps/
  • /f/ eg a cough /kɒf/ - coughs /kɒfs/
  • /t/ eg a parent /ˈpeə.rənt/ - parents /ˈpeə.rənts/
NB. Nouns that end in -fe change to -ves in plural.
So the pronunciation of  the -es changes to /z/.
  • a knife /naɪf/ - knives /naɪvz/
  • a life /laɪf/ - lives /laɪvz/

The -(e)s of the verb in 3º person in the present simple and regular plural nouns are pronounced as /z/ after:
  • /v/ eg love /lʌv/ - loves /lʌvz/
  • /b/ eg rob /rɒb/ - robs /rɒbz/
  • /g/ eg a dog /dɒg/ - dogs /dɒgz/
  • /l/ eg call /kɔːl/ - calls /kɔːlz/
  • /m/ eg time /taɪm/ - times /taɪmz/
  • /n/ eg open /ˈəʊ.pən/ - opens /ˈəʊ.pənz/
  • /r/ eg a car /kɑːr / - cars /kɑːr z/
  • /ð/ eg sunbathe /ˈsʌn.beɪð/ - /ˈsʌn.beɪðz/
  • /ŋ/ eg a ring /rɪŋ/ - rings /rɪŋz/
and also after all vowel sounds we find /z/:
  • /eɪ/ eg play /pleɪ/ - plays /pleɪz/
  • /aɪ/ eg die /daɪ/ - dies /daɪz/
  • /əʊ/ eg go /gəʊ/ - goes /gəʊz/
  • /dʌ/ eg do /duː/ - does /dʌz/
  • /iː/ eg a tree /triː/ - trees /triːz/

When a word ends in /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, /z//dʒ/ the -es is pronounced as a separate syllable: /ɪz/
  • a horse /hɔːs/ (1 syll) - horses /hɔːs.ɪz/ (2 sylls)
  • finish /ˈfɪn.ɪʃ/ (2 sylls) - finishes /ˈfɪn.ɪʃ.ɪz/ (3 sylls)
  • watch /wɒ/ (1 syll) - watches /wɒtʃ.ɪz/ (2 sylls)
  • choose /tʃuːz/ (1 syll) - chooses /tʃuːz.ɪz/ (2 sylls)
  • a language /ˈlæŋ.gwɪ/ (2 sylls) - languages /ˈlæŋ.gwɪdʒ.ɪz/ (3 sylls)
  • a box /bɒks/ (1 syll) - boxes /bɒks.ɪz/ (2 sylls)

Listen to the /s/ sounds and then compare to the /z/ sounds. Look around the BBC pronunciation page.

Try the /s/ /z/ /ɪz/ test.





What are the following words and in what group do they go 1. /s/, 2. /z/ or 3. /ɪz/ :
  • /ˈstʌd.i/
  • /sməʊk/
  • /ˈstjuː.dənt/
  • /ˈfraɪ.deɪ/
  • /rɪˈlæks/
  • /tʃɔɪs/
  • /juːz/
  • /ˈmɔː.nɪŋ/
  • /miːt/
  • /ˌjuː.nɪˈvɜː.sɪ.ti/
  • /draɪv/
  • /ʃɒp/
  • /fəʊn/
  • /tʃɜːtʃ/

Try spelling out the above words symbol by symbol in the phonemic chart and listen to a group of words (finish; finishes; watch; watches) in the talking dictionary.

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