Welcome back to another pronunciation episode! This is available on my Facebook page down below and the audio is available on every badge on my Patreon, so make sure you check it out if you’re interested! Nonetheless, we’re going over the final s/es endings!
Group 1: Fit/fits step/steps Mark/Mark’s /s/ /z/ /əz
Group 2: Pay/pays read/reads Laura/Laura’s
Group 3: Teach/teachers office/offices George/George’s
- A voiceless sound (fit, top, Mark), add the voiceless /s/.
- A voiced sound (pay, read, Laura), add the voiced /z/.
Final /ǝz / Syllable Final /s/ sound Final /z/ sound
Sources locks bags
Pages hopes Steve’s
Classes minutes items
Rose’s stops grades
Colleges headaches explains
Differences tickets copies
Additional Words
- Dance
- Leave
- Start
- Confuse
- Improve
- Magazine
- Analyze
- React
- Finish
- Assume
Sentence Matching
1a My tire’s flat.
1b My tires are flat.
2a I helped the hosts.
2b I helped the hostess.
3a He let her borrow his car.
3b He lets her borrow his car.
4a Did you get the notice?
4b Did you get the notices?
5a He missed his chance to take the test.
5b He missed his chances to take the test.
6a They found your suitcase.
6b They found your suitcases.
7a Would you check the mailbox?
7b Would you check the mailboxes?
8a How much do I owe you for the ticket?
8b How much do I owe you for the tickets?
9a My brother works at the airport.
9b My brother’s work at the airport.
10a. The student deserves an A.
10b The students deserve an A.
Tip: Facts or Fax?
Final consonant groups with –s / -es endings can be difficult not just for English learners but for native English speakers too. Three common consonant clusters in English are /kt/ as in fact, /t/ as in concept, and /nd/ as in friend.
When English speakers add –s/ -es, they often omit the middle /t/ or /d/. As a result, both facts and fax sound like /faeks/; concepts sounds like /konceps/; and friends sound like /frenz/
/kt + s/ = /ks/ /pt + s/ = /ps/ /nd + z/ = /nz/
fact/facs adapt/adaps send/sens
facs_of life adaps_to the changes sens_a signal
act/acs concept/conceps lend/lens
asc_appropriately conceps_in math lens_a hand
direct/direcs accept/acceps friend/friens
direcs_this project acceps_responsibility friens_and family
