Color-Coded Exercises /s/ - /z/ sounds Newcastle Language Systems
This video exercise helps learners of English to produce the voiceless and voiced sounds of /s/ and /z/, which we hear at the beginning of the words "sue" and "zoo". To benefit from this exercise, please watch the following videos FIRST:
1) English Pronunciation: Introduction to the Color-Coded System
2) English Pronunciation: Introduction to the /s/ - /z/ sounds
As Jack states in the introductory lesson, since /s/ is a very common sound in the world's languages, most learners are able to produce it. However, the /z/ sound is not nearly as common, and so many leaners simply use the /s/ sound instead. Remember, both sounds are produced with the tongue in the same exact place, only /s/ is voiceless and /z/ is VOICED, which means you need to vibrate your vocal cords to produce it. Therefore, be sure to do the exercises with your hand on your throat, so you can feel when you are vibrating the vocal cords.
To acquire the difficult /z/ sound, it is important to practice for a few minutes every day, as you need to retrain your tongue and muscles. However, if you still need some help after watching the videos, you can always schedule pronunciation lessons with us at newcastlels.com. Our method has helped many students add the sounds of English to their set of linguistic skills, and we're sure we can do the same for you. Classes may be one-on-one if you like, but we can also accommodate up to 3 students for the price of 1. Additionally, we have classes in Conversational English, Business English, Writing, and we can help you with that TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS you may need to pass!