How to Pronounce the /s/ Sound
As you know, the /s/ sound is common in many English words. Do you have it in your mother tongue? Let's learn about it then.
In this lesson, we will learn how to pronounce the /s/ sound with the appropriate articulatory organs.
What Type of Sound Is /s/?
/s/ is a consonant sound in the English language.
How to Produce /s/?
how to pronounce /s/
As you can see in picture (b), the tongue plays a major part in the production of this sound. In order to produce this sound, the tongue raises a bit upwards and its sides slightly touch the back side of the front teeth. The tip of the tongue is just behind the front teeth. Note that it does not touch the back of the teeth. Also, the uvula is blocking the air passing through the nose. So, the air comes out of the mouth. As it is clear in picture (b), the circle in the throat is grey which indicates that we do not need to vibrate our vocal cords. So, it is voiceless.
In picture (a), the lips and teeth are slightly parted so as to let the air out.
In picture (c ), you can clearly see where exactly the tongue is put. The sides of the tongue must make contact with the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth. Below, there are the letters that represent this sound:
- s:
Sassy /sæs.i/
Spoon /spuːn/
Say /seɪ/
Sick /sɪk/
Cinderella /sɪn.dərˈel.ə/
Cyberpunk /saɪbərˌpʌŋk/
Ceremony /ser.ə.mə.ni/
Warning!
Note that whenever the letter S comes after another S, a voiced consonant, or a vowel, its sound changes to /z/. Compare:
Series /sɪr.iːz/
Socks /sɑːks/
/s/ Sound in 17 Most Common World Languages
As you can see in the table below, all of the common languages spoken around the world have the /s/ sound. So, it will not be difficult for you to produce it. Look:
| The Languages | Do You Have It? | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | ✔ | 三 |
| Spanish | ✔ | saltador/estar |
| Hindustani | ✔ | साल/سال |
| Bengali | ✔ | রাস্তা |
| Portuguese | ✔ | caço |
| Russian | ✔ | волосы |
| Japanese | ✔ | 複数形 |
| Vietnamese | ✔ | xa |
| Marathi | ✔ | साप |
| Turkish | ✔ | su |
| French | ✔ | façade |
| German | ✔ | biss |
| Italian | ✔ | sali |
| Persian | ✔ | سیب |
| Arabic (Standard) | ✔ | جَلَسَ |
| Korean | ✔ | 섬 |
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