---
title: "How to Pronounce -s Endings in English (s, z, or iz) | Speakeroo"
description: "The three pronunciations of the English -s ending (s, z, and iz) with the rule, word lists, and practice sentences. Record yourself and get feedback on the endings."
url: "https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce/s"
---

[How to pronounce](https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce)

# How to pronounce -s endings

Plurals, third-person verbs, and possessives all end in -s, but the ending has three sounds: s in "cats", z in "dogs", and a separate syllable "iz" in "buses". The choice depends on the last sound of the base word, and getting it right makes plurals and present-tense verbs clearer to listeners.

## How to make the sound

1. 1

   ### Step 1: Find the last sound

   Say the base word and check whether the last sound is voiced (a hum in your throat) or voiceless.
2. 2

   ### Step 2: Add s or z

   Voiceless: add a quiet s. Voiced or vowel: keep the voice going and add z. In both cases the word keeps the same number of syllables.
3. 3

   ### Step 3: Add "iz" after hissing sounds

   After s, z, sh, ch, or j sounds, add a weak vowel plus z: "bus-iz", "watch-iz". This is the only case that adds a syllable.

## Example words

### Sounds like s (after voiceless sounds: p, t, k, f, th)

- cats
- books
- stops
- laughs
- months
- hits
- maps
- works

### Sounds like z (after voiced sounds and vowels)

- dogs
- words
- plays
- runs
- cars
- ideas
- sees
- loves

### Sounds like iz (after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds)

- buses
- watches
- wishes
- judges
- faces
- boxes
- sizes
- catches

## Common mistakes

- Using an s sound after a voiced consonant, so "dogs" sounds like "docks".
- Forgetting the extra syllable after hissing sounds ("watch-iz", "bus-iz").
- Dropping the ending altogether, which turns plurals and third-person verbs into singular forms.

## Read a sentence and check it

Free, in the browser, no account needed. The clip is checked and then deleted.

Accent

American English British English Australian English

Listen

Read one of these aloud, then stop: The cats and dogs watch the buses. She works, plays, and catches the trains. Two months of wishes and boxes of books.

## What Speakeroo listens for

These are the pronunciation patterns from Speakeroo’s speech feature catalog that this target tends to expose. The check above reports the ones it hears.

- Final -s ending unclear Use the correct /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/ ending and keep it audible.
- /s/ and /z/ confused Contrast voiceless airflow for /s/ with vocal-cord vibration for /z/.
- Final consonant devoiced Keep the vocal folds vibrating through voiced endings such as /b/, /d/, /g/ and /z/.

## Questions

### When is the -s ending pronounced z?

The rule matches the -ed rule. After a voiceless sound the ending is s; after a voiced sound or a vowel it is z; after a hissing sound (s, z, sh, ch, j) it becomes a separate syllable "iz".

### Does the -s ending add a syllable?

Only the "iz" ending adds a syllable. "Buses" and "watches" have two syllables; "cats" and "dogs" have one, the same as "cat" and "dog".

### Does the rule apply to possessives and verbs too?

Yes. The same rule covers plurals (dogs), third-person verbs (she runs), and possessives (the dog’s bowl).

## Keep going

[The th sound](https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce/th) [The d sound](https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce/d) [-ed endings](https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce/ed) [-ds endings](https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce/ds) [All words](https://speakeroo.app/how-to-pronounce) [Pronunciation practice](https://speakeroo.app/pronunciation-practice) [Tongue twisters](https://speakeroo.app/tongue-twisters)

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