The Letter Z In American English
"Z" is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the English alphabet. It is a consonant.
Consonants are sounds that are pronounced with restriction in the vocal tract.
The Letter Z: Sounds
The letter "z" has two common sounds:
Sound 2: /s/
The letter "z" also sounds /s/ if it is placed after a consonant:
Waltz /wɔːlts/
pretzel /ˈpretsl/
Sound 3: /Ø/
"z" can be 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 /ˈblɪzərd/
buzz /bʌz/
Warning!
However, "zz" in the loanword "pizza" sounds /ts/.
pizza /ˈpiːtsə/
Tip!
The letter "zu" sounds /ʒ/ in the word "seizure:"
seizure /ˈsiːʒər/
The Letter Z: Uses
The letter "Z" can be synonym with "sleep" in informal North American English if it is used plural: Z's
For example: I want to catch some Z's.
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