The Letter Z

In this lesson, you will learn about all the sounds of the letter Z. It is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the English alphabet. Let's begin.

The Letter 'Z' in the English Alphabet

Z is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the English alphabet.

Consonants are sounds that are pronounced with restriction in the vocal tract.

Uppercase Form Z
Lowercase z
Name zed (pronounced /ˈzɛd/)
Common Sound(s) /z/, /s/

The Letter Z: Sounds

Common Sounds

The letter Z has two common sounds:

Sound 1: /z/

The letter 'z' normally sounds /z/ before a vowel:

zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/

zigzag /ˈzɪɡzæɡ/

lizard /ˈlɪzəd/

sneeze /sniːz/

Sound 2: /s/

The letter 'z' also sounds /s/ if it is placed after a consonant:

Waltz /wɔːlts/

pretzel /ˈpɹɛtsəl/

eczema /ˈeksmə/

ritz /ˈrɪts/

Sound 3: /∅/

'z' is silent in French loanwords:

rendezvous /ˈɹɑndəˌvu/

chez /ʃeɪ/

The Letter Z: Multigraphs

'Z' can be combined with other letters, mainly consonants.

zz

'zz' sounds /z/:

puzzle /ˈpʌzl/

blizzard /ˈblɪzəd/

fizzy /ˈfɪzi/

Tip!

However, 'zz' in the loanword 'pizza' sounds /ts/.

pizza /ˈpiːtsə/

Warning

The letter 'zu' sounds /ʒə/ in the word 'seizure':

seizure /ˈsiːʒə(r)/

The Letter Z: Use

The letter Z can be
Synonym with 'sleep' in informal North American English if it is used plural: Z's, like: I want to catch some Z's.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...

Recommended

The Letter W

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter W. It is the twenty-third and fourth-to-last letter of the English alphabet. Let's begin.

The Letter X

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter X. It is the twenty-fourth and third-to-last letter of the English alphabet. Let's continue.

The Letter Y

bookmark
In order to add to your bookmarks you must sign in to your account
Close
Sign in
In this lesson, you will learn about all the sounds of the letter Y. It is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the English alphabet.
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app