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    Pronunciation · consonant

    The /s/ sound: s as in see

    In short

    /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative, the consonant you hear in see, listen, bus. It is voiceless: only air, no vocal-cord vibration. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

    How to pronounce /s/

    1. 1Bring your tongue close to the ridge behind your top teeth without touching.
    2. 2Force air through the narrow gap, a sharp hiss.
    3. 3Keep the tongue behind the teeth, never between them.

    /s/ in words, with audio

    Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

    • seesiː · sound is initial
    • listenˈlɪsən · sound is medial
    • busbʌs · sound is final
    • studyˈstʌdi · sound is initial
    • possibleˈpɒsɪbəl · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Adding a vowel before s-clusters ('school' → 'eschool', common for Spanish and Farsi speakers) or lisping it towards /θ/.

    Who struggles with this sound:

    • Bengali speakers: s and sh interchange: 'see' and 'she' swap unpredictably
    • Vietnamese speakers: final /s/ deleted: plurals and 'is/was' vanish: 'six' → 'sic', 'nice' → 'nai'
    • Thai speakers: final /s/ impossible in Thai codas: plurals and final s vanish
    • Japanese speakers: /s/ before /iː/ palatalises to 'sh': 'sea' → 'she', 'sit' → 'shit(!)': high-stakes fix

    Spellings of /s/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /s/: s ss c sc. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    Don't confuse it with…

    Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast, the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

    Words that drill /s/

    Each has a full breakdown, audio in both accents and a recording drill. Practising a sound inside a real word transfers better than practising it alone.

    segueSEG-wayfacadefuh-SAHDmischievousMIS-chiv-usinterestingIN-truh-stingrestaurantRES-trontbusinessBIZ-nussecretarySEK-ruh-treesubtleSUT-ul

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /s/ sound?
    Bring your tongue close to the ridge behind your top teeth without touching. Force air through the narrow gap, a sharp hiss. Keep the tongue behind the teeth, never between them.
    What is the most common mistake with /s/?
    Adding a vowel before s-clusters ('school' → 'eschool', common for Spanish and Farsi speakers) or lisping it towards /θ/.
    Which spellings make the /s/ sound?
    Common spellings include “s”, “ss”, “c”, “sc”, as in see /siː/, listen /ˈlɪsən/, bus /bʌs/.
    Does /s/ matter for IELTS?
    It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.

    Next step

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