{"id":3129,"date":"2026-06-03T23:41:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T03:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalnutrients.com\/?page_id=3129"},"modified":"2026-06-04T04:22:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T08:22:48","slug":"english-pronunciation-es-endings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalnutrients.com\/ar\/english-pronunciation-es-endings\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pronounce -S and -ES Endings in English: \/s\/, \/z\/, and \/\u026az\/"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How to Pronounce -S and -ES Endings in English<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Do you say \u201cbooks,\u201d \u201cdogs,\u201d and \u201cwatches\u201d the same way? Many English learners look only at the spelling, but English pronunciation depends on the final sound before the ending.<\/p>

In this lesson, you will learn the three ending sounds: \/s\/, \/z\/, and \/\u026az\/.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The most important rule is this:<\/p>

Do not look only at the spelling. Listen to the final sound before the ending.<\/p>

For plural nouns and present simple verbs, -s and -es can sound like \/s\/, \/z\/, or \/\u026az\/.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The 3 Pronunciation Rules for -S and -ES<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ending Sound<\/th>\r\n Use It After<\/th>\r\n Examples<\/th>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n <\/thead>\r\n
\/s\/<\/td>\r\n Quiet \/ voiceless sounds<\/td>\r\n books, cups, cats, cliffs<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n
\/z\/<\/td>\r\n Voiced sounds and vowels<\/td>\r\n dogs, pens, days, rooms<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n
\/\u026az\/<\/td>\r\n Hissing sounds<\/td>\r\n boxes, wishes, watches, classes<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n <\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Simple memory rule: quiet sound = \/s\/, vibrating sound = \/z\/, hissing sound = \/\u026az\/.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Rule 1: Use \/s\/ After Quiet Sounds<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Use \/s\/ when the final sound before the ending is quiet or voiceless. Your throat does not vibrate.<\/p>

Common final sounds: \/p\/, \/t\/, \/k\/, \/f\/, \/\u03b8\/<\/p>

Examples:<\/p>

book \u2192 books
cup \u2192 cups
cat \u2192 cats
cliff \u2192 cliffs
month \u2192 months<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Practice these sentences slowly:<\/p>

1. I bought three books for class.
2. She has two cats and five cups.
3. The months passed quickly.
4. The chefs prepared snacks.
5. My classmates wrote notes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Rule 2: Use \/z\/ After Voiced Sounds and Vowels<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Use \/z\/ when the final sound before the ending is voiced. This means your throat vibrates.<\/p>

You also use \/z\/ after vowel sounds.<\/p>

Examples:<\/p>

day \u2192 days
job \u2192 jobs
bag \u2192 bags
school \u2192 schools
room \u2192 rooms
pen \u2192 pens
car \u2192 cars<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Practice these sentences:<\/p>

1. My friends have good ideas.
2. The dogs chased the balls.
3. Teachers open doors for students.
4. The rooms have windows.
5. We discussed goals and plans.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Rule 3: Use \/\u026az\/ After Hissing Sounds<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Use \/\u026az\/ when the word ends with a hissing sound.<\/p>

Common trigger sounds:<\/p>

\/s\/
\/z\/
\/sh\/
\/zh\/
\/ch\/
\/j\/<\/p>

This ending adds an extra syllable.<\/p>

Examples:<\/p>

bus \u2192 buses
box \u2192 boxes
wish \u2192 wishes
watch \u2192 watches
bridge \u2192 bridges
class \u2192 classes<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The sound \/\u026az\/ is short, like \u201cihz.\u201d Do not make it too long like \u201ceez.\u201d<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Practice these sentences:<\/p>

1. She watches English videos.
2. He fixes old phones.
3. The teacher gives three quizzes.
4. The city has many bridges.
5. Our class discusses life choices.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Common Mistakes English Learners Make<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mistake 1: Adding an extra syllable to every plural word.<\/p>

Wrong: book-es
Correct: books \/b\u028aks\/<\/p>

Mistake 2: Saying every ending as \/s\/.<\/p>

Wrong: dog-s
Correct: dogs \/d\u0254gz\/<\/p>

Mistake 3: Looking only at spelling.<\/p>

The spelling helps, but the final sound is more important.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mini Quiz: Choose \/s\/, \/z\/, or \/\u026az\/<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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