The Letter Z in American English

consonant letters

In this lesson, we 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, then.

british

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	zee (pronounced /ˈziː/
Common Sounds	/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 /ˈzɪrəʊ/

squeeze /skwiːz/

zigzag /ˈzɪɡzæɡ/

lizard /ˈlɪzərd/

Sound 2: /s/

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

Waltz /wɔːlts/

pretzel /ˈpretsl/

eczema /ˈeksɪmə/

'eczema' also sounds /ɪɡˈziːmə/.

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: Use

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.

The Letter W

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

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

In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter Y. It is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the English alphabet. Join me, will ya?

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