LoginThe Letter S
"S" is the nineteenth letter in the English alphabet. It is a consonant.
Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.
Uppercase Form | S |
|---|---|
Lowercase | s |
Name | ess (pronounced /ˈɛs/) |
Common Sounds | /s/, /z/, /Ø/ |
The Letter S: Sounds
The letter "s" has three common sounds:
Common Sounds
Sound 1: /s/
"s" mainly sounds /s/:
sun /sʌn/
skeleton /ˈskelɪtn/
mouse /maʊs/
oscar /ˈɑskɚ/
Sound 2: /z/
"s" can also sound /z/:
is /ɪz/
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/
mosaic /moʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/
Sound 3: /Ø/
Sometimes, the letter "s" is silent, mostly in loanwords:
isle /aɪl/
island /ˈaɪlənd/
bourgeois /ˌbʊrˈʒwɑː/
apropos /ˌæprəˈpoʊ/
Other Sounds
Sound 4: /ʒ/
"s" after "ure," "ual" sounds /ʒ/:
casual /ˈkæʒuəl/
measure /ˈmeʒər/
treasure /ˈtreʒər/
Asia /ˈeɪʒə/
Sound 5: /ʃ/
The letter "s" also sounds /ʃ/:
sugar /ˈʃʊɡər/
expansion /ɪkˈspænʃn/
dimension /dɪˈmenʃn/
tension /ˈtenʃn/
The Letter S: Multigraphs
Letter "s" can also appear in combinations with other letters (mainly consonants):
ss
"ss" commonly has three sounds:
/s/
/z/
/ʃ/
1. "ss" sounds /s/:
dress /dres/
princess /ˈprɪnses/
compass /ˈkʌmpəs/
2. "ss" also sounds /z/:
scissors /ˈsɪzərz/
dessert /dɪˈzɜːrt/
possess /pəˈzes/
3. "ss" also sounds /ʃ/:
assure /əˈʃʊr/
issue /ˈɪʃuː/
sh
"sh" sounds /ʃ/:
ship /ʃɪp/
shark /ʃɑːrk/
fish /fɪʃ/
sci
"sci" in the middle of words sound /ʃ/:
conscious /ˈkɑːnʃəs/
luscious /ˈlʌʃəs/
conscience /ˈkɑːnʃəns/
si
"si" in "sion" at the end of words sounds /ʃ/:
propulsion /pɹəˈpʌlʃən/
pension /ˈpɛnʃən/
ssi
"ssi" in the middle of words sounds /ʃ/:
passion /ˈpæʃən/
expression /ɪkˈspɹɛʃən/
Russia /ˈɹʌʃə/
st
"st" in the middle of words sounds /s/ and "t" is silent:
castle /ˈkæsl/
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/
whistle /ˈwɪsl/
Tip!
"sth" sounds /s/ in the word asthma, in other words "th" is silent; however, in American English, "sth" sounds /z/:
asthma /ˈæsmə/ /ˈæzmə/
ps
"ps" at the beginning of words sound /s/:
psychology /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/
psyche /ˈsaɪki/
psychopath /ˈsaɪkəˌpæθ/
The Letter S: Uses
"S" can be used as:
The mark of plural nouns, like "books"
The regular ending of English third person present tense verbs; like "she works"
The possession 's that shows "belonging to", like "Sam's shoes"
The abbreviation of the size "small"
The abbreviation of "south/ southern"
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