If the word is a plural word ending in "-s," there are definite patterns that you can follow:
If the singular ends in a unvoiced sound (no vibration in the larynx), the plural "-s"is pronounced /s/:
[p], [t], [k], [f]
Unvoiced sounds (plural /s/)
/p/ (caps /kaps/)
/t/ (pats /pats/)
/k/ (backs /baks/)
/f/ (safes /seɪfs/)
If the singular ends in a voiced sound (vibration in the larynx), the plural "-s" is pronounced /z/. Also, if the singular ends in a vowel sound or a diphthong, the plural "-s" or "-es" is pronounced /z/.
Vowels, diphthongs, [b], [d], [g], [l], [r], [w], [m], [n], [v], [y]
Voiced sounds (plural /z/)
ways /weɪz/
frees /friːz/
tries /trʌɪz/
shows /ʃəʊ/
cues /kjuːz/
boys /bɔɪz/
jaws /dʒɔːz/
/b/ (cabs /kabz/) /m/ (cams /kamz/)
/d/ (pads /padz/) /n/ (pans /panz/)
/ɡ/ (bags /baɡz/) /ŋ/ (bangs /baŋz/)
/v/ (saves /seɪvz/)
/l/ (falls /fɔːlz/)
(/r/ (cars /kärz/ in US Eng/Scottish.)
If the singular ends in a sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/), the plural (written as "-es") and is pronounced /ɪz/.
_________________________
Sibilant sounds (plural /ɪz/):
/s/ (buses /bʌsɪz/ /z/ (buzzes /bʌzɪz/)
/ʃ/ (rushes /rʌʃɪz/ /ʒ/ (rouges /ruːʒɪz/)
/tʃ/ (batches /batʃɪz/) /dʒ/ (badges /badʒɪz/)
A special case of a sibilant letter is the letter "x" /ks/ (boxes /bɒksɪz/)
_________________________
Now practise! 1
No comments:
Post a Comment