{"id":273433,"date":"2026-09-18T03:03:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T08:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=273433"},"modified":"2026-09-18T03:03:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T08:03:49","slug":"s-z-iz-endings-pronunciation-b1-preliminary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/es\/blog\/s-z-iz-endings-pronunciation-b1-preliminary\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering \/s\/, \/z\/, and \/\u026az\/ Endings: B1 Preliminary Pronunciation Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>To pronounce English words ending in &#8216;s&#8217; or &#8216;es&#8217; correctly, listen to the sound <em>antes de<\/em> the ending.<\/strong> There are three main sounds: <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>, y <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span>. The choice depends on whether the final sound of the base word is voiceless, voiced, or a sibilant sound. This rule applies to plural nouns, third-person singular verbs (present simple), and possessives. Mastering these sounds helps you speak more clearly and naturally, which is important for exams like the B1 Preliminary. For example, <span data-no-translation>cats<\/span> ends with <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>dogs<\/span> ends with <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>, y <span data-no-translation>boxes<\/span> ends with <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span>.<\/div>\n<h2>What are the three sounds for &#8216;s&#8217; endings?<\/h2>\n<p>In English, the letter &#8216;s&#8217; at the end of words can sound different. This happens with plural nouns (<span data-no-translation>cats<\/span>), third-person singular verbs (<span data-no-translation>she works<\/span>), and possessives (<span data-no-translation>John&#8217;s book<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>There are three main sounds for these endings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>: This sound is voiceless. Your vocal cords do not vibrate.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>: This sound is voiced. Your vocal cords vibrate.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span>: This sound has an extra vowel sound before the <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>. It is also voiced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-placement\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#2B87DA,#29C4A9);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\u270d\ufe0f \u00bfNo sabes en qu\u00e9 nivel est\u00e1s?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">Realiza nuestra prueba de nivel gratuita y recibe comentarios personalizados de examinadores certificados por Cambridge.<\/p><a href=\"\/es\/ingles\/academia\/free-test\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#0A2540;color:#fff;\">Realice nuestra prueba de nivel GRATUITA<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>When do we use the \/s\/ sound?<\/h2>\n<p>Utilizamos el <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span> sound when the letter or sound before the 's' ending is <strong>voiceless<\/strong>. This means your vocal cords do not vibrate when you make the sound.<\/p>\n<p>Voiceless sounds include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/p\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>stop<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/t\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>cat<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/k\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>book<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/f\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>laugh<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/\u03b8\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>bath<\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you add 's' to words ending with these sounds, the 's' becomes <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>When do we use the \/z\/ sound?<\/h2>\n<p>Utilizamos el <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span> sound when the letter or sound before the 's' ending is <strong>voiced<\/strong>. This means your vocal cords vibrate when you make the sound.<\/p>\n<p>Voiced sounds include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/b\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>club<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/d\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>word<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/g\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>dog<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/v\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>love<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/m\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>dream<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/n\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>train<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/l\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>ball<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/r\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>car<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li>Vowel sounds (as in <span data-no-translation>see<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>go<\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you add 's' to words ending with these sounds, the 's' becomes <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>When do we use the \/\u026az\/ sound?<\/h2>\n<p>Utilizamos el <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span> sound when the letter or sound before the 's' ending is a <strong>sibilant<\/strong> sound. These are sounds that have a 'hissing' or 'buzzing' quality.<\/p>\n<p>Sibilant sounds include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>bus<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>prize<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/\u0283\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>wash<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/\u0292\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>garage<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/t\u0283\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>watch<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>\/d\u0292\/<\/span> (as in <span data-no-translation>change<\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you add 's' or 'es' to words ending with these sounds, you add an extra vowel sound <span data-no-translation>\/\u026a\/<\/span> before the <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span> to make it easier to pronounce.<\/p>\n<h2>Why is this pronunciation important for your English?<\/h2>\n<p>Correct pronunciation makes your English clear and easy to understand. When you use the right sounds for 's' endings, you sound more natural and fluent.<\/p>\n<p>This skill is very important for communication and for exams like the B1 Preliminary (PET). Good pronunciation helps you get a better score in the speaking part of the exam.<\/p>\n<table>\n<caption>Summary of &#x27;s&#x27; Ending Pronunciation Rules<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Ending Sound<\/th>\n<th>Rule (Sound Before &#x27;s&#x27;)<\/th>\n<th>Ejemplos<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span><\/td>\n<td>After voiceless sounds: <span data-no-translation>\/p\/, \/t\/, \/k\/, \/f\/, \/\u03b8\/<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>stops, cats, books, laughs, baths<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span><\/td>\n<td>After voiced sounds: <span data-no-translation>\/b\/, \/d\/, \/g\/, \/v\/, \/m\/, \/n\/, \/l\/, \/r\/<\/span> and all vowel sounds<\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>clubs, words, dogs, loves, dreams, trains, balls, cars, sees, goes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span><\/td>\n<td>After sibilant sounds: <span data-no-translation>\/s\/, \/z\/, \/\u0283\/, \/\u0292\/, \/t\u0283\/, \/d\u0292\/<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>buses, prizes, washes, garages, watches, changes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Ejemplos<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She likes apples.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He walks to work every day.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The books are on the table.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>My dog loves to play.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She teaches English.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The bus stops here.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He watches TV in the evening.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Pr\u00e1ctica<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1950\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1950\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"PET01 L3 PRONUNCIATION \/s\/ \/z\/ \/\u026az\/\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-exam\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:#0A2540;\"><h3 style=\"color:#F2B705;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\u00bfEst\u00e1s listo para obtener tu certificado?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.92;\">El curso Langcom prepara a los alumnos para los ex\u00e1menes de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL, DELE, SIELE y Michigan.<\/p><a href=\"\/es\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#F2B705;color:#0A2540;\">Empieza a utilizar Langcom<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes<\/h2>\n<h3>Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes<\/h3>\n<p>Many Spanish speakers tend to pronounce all 's' endings as <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, similar to the 's' in Spanish. They might also add an extra vowel sound, making words like <span data-no-translation>dogs<\/span> sound like <span data-no-translation>*dog-es*<\/span> o <span data-no-translation>*dogs*<\/span> (with a voiceless <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incorrecto:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>He love-s his family.<\/span> (Incorrect <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span> sound)<br \/><strong>Correcto:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>He loves his family.<\/span> (Correct <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span> sound)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Incorrecto:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>I have two cat-es.<\/span> (Adding an unnecessary vowel)<br \/><strong>Correcto:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>I have two cats.<\/span> (Correct <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span> sound)<\/p>\n<p>Remember to pay attention to the sound before the 's' to choose the correct ending sound.<\/p>\n<h2>Preguntas m\u00e1s frecuentes<\/h2>\n<h3>How do I know if a sound is voiced or voiceless?<\/h3>\n<p>You can check if a sound is voiced or voiceless by touching your throat. Make the sound (e.g., <span data-no-translation>\/p\/<\/span> o <span data-no-translation>\/b\/<\/span>). If you feel a vibration, it's a voiced sound. If there's no vibration, it's voiceless.<\/p>\n<h3>Does this rule apply to all words ending in 's'?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, this rule generally applies to plural nouns (e.g., <span data-no-translation>cars<\/span>), third-person singular verbs in the present simple (e.g., <span data-no-translation>runs<\/span>), and possessive 's' (e.g., <span data-no-translation>Mary's<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h3>Why is this important for the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam?<\/h3>\n<p>In the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam, clear pronunciation is part of the speaking assessment criteria. Correctly pronouncing <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>, y <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span> endings shows good control of English phonology, which can help you achieve a higher score in tasks where you describe pictures or discuss topics.<\/p>\n<h3>Are there any exceptions to these rules?<\/h3>\n<p>The rules for <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>, y <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span> endings are very consistent. There are very few exceptions for regular plurals and third-person singular verbs. However, some irregular plurals do not end in 's' at all (e.g., <span data-no-translation>children<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>men<\/span>).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To pronounce English words ending in &#8216;s&#8217; or &#8216;es&#8217; correctly, listen to the sound before the ending. There are three main sounds: \/s\/, \/z\/, and \/\u026az\/. The choice depends on whether the final sound of the base word is voiceless, voiced, or a sibilant sound. This rule applies to plural nouns, third-person singular verbs (present [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":274542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"\/s\/ \/z\/ \/\u026az\/ endings pronunciation","langcom_cefr":"B1","langcom_type":"pronunciation","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"How do I know if a sound is voiced or voiceless?\", \"a\": \"You can check if a sound is voiced or voiceless by touching your throat. Make the sound (e.g., <span data-no-translation>\/p\/<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>\/b\/<\/span>). If you feel a vibration, it's a voiced sound. If there's no vibration, it's voiceless.\"}, {\"q\": \"Does this rule apply to all words ending in 's'?\", \"a\": \"Yes, this rule generally applies to plural nouns (e.g., <span data-no-translation>cars<\/span>), third-person singular verbs in the present simple (e.g., <span data-no-translation>runs<\/span>), and possessive 's' (e.g., <span data-no-translation>Mary's<\/span>).\"}, {\"q\": \"Why is this important for the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam?\", \"a\": \"In the B1 Preliminary (PET) exam, clear pronunciation is part of the speaking assessment criteria. Correctly pronouncing <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>, and <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span> endings shows good control of English phonology, which can help you achieve a higher score in tasks where you describe pictures or discuss topics.\"}, {\"q\": \"Are there any exceptions to these rules?\", \"a\": \"The rules for <span data-no-translation>\/s\/<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>\/z\/<\/span>, and <span data-no-translation>\/\u026az\/<\/span> endings are very consistent. There are very few exceptions for regular plurals and third-person singular verbs. However, some irregular plurals do not end in 's' at all (e.g., <span data-no-translation>children<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>men<\/span>).\"}]","_kiss_seo_title":"","_kiss_seo_excerpt":"To pronounce English words ending in 's' or 'es' correctly, listen to the sound before the ending. There are three main sounds: \/s\/, \/z\/, and \/\u026az\/.","_mwseo_canonical":"","_mwseo_keywords":"","_mwseo_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[619],"tags":[1158,657],"formats":[],"class_list":["post-273433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-b1-preliminary-pet","tag-s-z-z","tag-pronunciation"],"dsm_author":{"name":"Ra\u00fal","avatar_url":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/nsl_avatars\/1de86ea706740d324aaef3dd8bf0843b.png","archive_link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/es\/blog\/author\/raulmaguinahamann\/","biodata":""},"dsm_categories":[{"term_name":"B1 Preliminary 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