LoginHow to Pronounce the /ʒ/ Sound
In this lesson, we’ll explore the /ʒ/ sound, a voiced postalveolar fricative. It involves producing sound with the tongue near the roof of the mouth.
In this lesson, we will discuss how we can masterfully pronounce the /ʒ/ sound using the proper articulatory organs.
What Type of Sound Is /ʒ/?
/ʒ/ is a consonant sound in the English language.
How to Produce /ʒ/?
Mouth and Vocal Tract Configuration for /ʒ/
As you can see in picture (b), the tongue is an important participant in the production of this sound. In order to pronounce it, we must raise the middle part of the tongue. Its tip remains in its place. Note that the middle part of the tongue does not touch the roof of the mouth. The uvula, on the other hand, will not let the air move up towards the nose. If you look closely, you will notice that the circle in the throat is red indicating that this sound is voiced. So, we must use our vocal cords in the process.
In picture (a), the lips and the teeth are parted. When we want to produce this sound, our lips are in the same position as when we want to pronounce the vowel /i/.
As you can see in picture (c), the tongue does not make contact anywhere in the mouth.
Which Letters are Pronounced as /ʒ/?
/ʒ/ Sound in the Most Common World Languages
Below, you can find a table regarding the /ʒ/ sound in the most common world languages. Look:
| Existence | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | x | - |
| Spanish | x | - |
| Hindi | ✔ | अझ़दहा |
| Bengali | x | - |
| Portuguese | ✔ | loja |
| Russian¹ | ✔ | живот |
| Japanese | x | - |
| Vietnamese | x | - |
| Turkish | ✔ | jale |
| French | ✔ | jour |
| German² | ✔ | Genie |
| Italian | x | - |
| Persian | ✔ | مژه |
| Standard Arabic | x | - |
| Korean | x | - |
| Indonesian | x | - |
| Filipino | x | - |
| Hungarian | ✔ | rózsa |
| Dutch | ✔ | garage |
| Polish | ✔ | zielony |
| Romanian | ✔ | jar |
| Swedish | x | - |
| Czech | ✔ | muži |
| Greek | x | - |
| Ukrainian | ✔ | жaбa |
| Urdu | ✔ | اژدہا |
¹ The sound is similar, but it is not identical.
² The sound is non-native.
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