English term
CallS or CallZ
Some pronounce these words with Z at the end like CallZ while other pronounce like CallS. There are many examples TelephoneS/Z, CompanieS/Z, ComputerS/Z, etc. Same goes to some names like PharmaceuticalS/Z, WaleS/Z etc.
Sorry if I could not make my question clear to you but I think you will get an idea. Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you.
5 +9 | callz | Sheila Wilson |
5 +6 | callz | David Hollywood |
Non-PRO (1): Tony M
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Responses
callz
First say the word to yourself without the "s". How does the word end? Do you use your voice box or not?
To demonstrate;
try saying cat, walk, sleep, then isolating the last sound (t,k,p). You'll find that no sound comes out - these are 'silent' or 'unvoiced'
Now try saying wood, dog, rub and isolating the d,g,b. You'll be able to hear these sounds as they are 'voiced'. You can also 'feel' the vibration if you put your hand to your throat.
In fact, /t/ and /d/ are the same sound, only unvoiced and voiced.
Now try adding the final 's' to these words: cats, dogs etc - isn't it easier and more natural to say /cats/ but /dogz/?
The grammar rule is that you say /s/ after an unvoiced word ending, /z/ after a voiced one, but I don't really teach my students the rule - I just ask them to do what seems easiest and that seems to work.
An NB for completeness:
For words that end in a sound that makes it really difficult to simply add /s/ or /z/ - such as horse, watch, badge - you need to add /iz/ (never /is/)
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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-10-23 07:36:21 GMT)
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More NBs:
All of the above depends on [b]sounds NOT spellings[/b]
All vowel sounds are voiced.
agree |
Alison Sabedoria (X)
: Well explained!
12 mins
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Thanks. It's something that an English trainer has to explain regularly.
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agree |
Tony M
: Super!
53 mins
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Thanks
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agree |
Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
: Top marks for explaination
2 hrs
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Thanks
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agree |
cmwilliams (X)
3 hrs
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Thanks
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agree |
Stephanie Ezrol
4 hrs
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Thanks
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agree |
Noni Gilbert Riley
: Quite!
5 hrs
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Thanks
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agree |
British Diana
: you deserve at least 4 points for this!
5 hrs
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Thanks
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agree |
Arabic & More
6 hrs
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Thanks
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agree |
Polangmar
: 1. The grammar rule is = The phonetic rule is. 2. It's easier to say /doks/ - it's standard pronunciation in Polish words ending in two voiced consonants: eg. "bruzd" (plural genetive of "bruzda") is pronounced /brust/.
17 hrs
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Thanks
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callz
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Note added at 2 mins (2010-10-23 03:21:43 GMT)
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it's like a zzz
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Note added at 3 mins (2010-10-23 03:23:05 GMT)
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not a technical explanation but there we go
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Note added at 7 mins (2010-10-23 03:26:24 GMT)
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I'm sure someone will be able to explain it in more phonetic terms but this is the correct pronunciation in your question
agree |
ValtBt
2 hrs
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agree |
Jack Doughty
: I hope you gain some kudoZ from your fellow proZ by answering this question.
3 hrs
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agree |
Sheila Wilson
: I do agree with your answer, David but I couldn't possibly have explained it here.
3 hrs
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agree |
Alison Sabedoria (X)
4 hrs
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agree |
Tony M
4 hrs
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agree |
Arabic & More
10 hrs
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Discussion
Sheila's explanation is spot on. The theory (all the unvoiced and voiced stuff) is something you don't learn as a native speaker but anyone who is trying to take the teachers' exams in Spain has to know it, so I had to learn immediately on arrival in my first teaching job here! Now I tend to tell them not to learn the list of voiced consonants, but to try to pronounce it as an s, and if it doesn't come out naturally, then the resulting z sound is correct. It's a question of what the mouth is capable of producing, soundwise, in English.
Best
Noni