/s/ vs /ʃ/: see vs she

The sharp /s/ and the hushed /ʃ/ separate sip/ship, seat/sheet and save/shave. It is a high-functional-load contrast that also affects grammar words like 'she' and 'sure'.

High impact
8 pairs
Three voices

1 / 10

Which word do you hear?

See the difference

For /ʃ/ pull the tongue slightly back and round your lips a little, like shushing a child. /s/ keeps the lips spread and the tongue further forward; feel the hiss move.

as in see

Lips: Relaxed
Tongue: Tip on the ridge behind the top teeth
Voice: Off: only air
Air: Squeezed through a narrow gap

Learn s

as in she

Lips: Pushed forward, rounded
Tongue: Front of the tongue just behind the ridge
Voice: Off: only air
Air: Squeezed through a narrow gap

Learn ʃ

All 8 pairs

In a sentence

Hardest for speakers of

Questions

What is the difference between see and she?

see /siː/ uses the /s/ sound while she /ʃiː/ uses /ʃ/. For /ʃ/ pull the tongue slightly back and round your lips a little, like shushing a child. /s/ keeps the lips spread and the tongue further forward; feel the hiss move.

Which learners find the /s/ vs /ʃ/ contrast hardest?

It is most challenging for Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, Greek speakers, whose first languages don't separate these two sounds.