Pronunciation / The letter “s”

How to pronounce the letter “s” in the words “Sud” and “choses”? Find out how in this help section.

The sound	play stop mute max volume     repeat   Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version.	[s] is very common in French. It is the sound the snake makes: sssss
The sound	play stop mute max volume     repeat   Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version.	[z] is very similar, but much more relaxed. It is the sound the mosquito makes: zzzz. To pronounce it, take a relaxed position, speak slowly, say [s], make a gesture downwards, to accompany the voice as it descends: “deux choses” Audio file play stop mute max volume     repeat   Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version.
		[z] is heard.

The sound [z] is very important to mark the plural:

- in the liaison between the determiner and the noun that starts with a vowel [i, ɛ, a, œ, o, y, u, ɑ̃, õ, ɛ̃]:
   les_oiseaux

- of verbs, when using:  ils_ , elles_ before a verb that starts with a vowel:
   il aime > ils_aiment, elle ouvre > elles_ouvrent, il apporte > ils_apportent, …

The sound [z] also marks the feminine of adjectives ending in “s”, “x” in the masculine form:
   compris, heureux, nombreux, français …
 

The difference between [s] and [z] also allows us to distinguish

play stop mute max volume     repeat   Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version.  Ils sont (être) / ils_ont (avoir)

In general, the letter “s” is pronounced [s]:
- at the beginning of a word: sud, solaire, sa
- before a consonant ( = non-vowel sounds [i, ɛ, a, œ, o, y, u, ɑ̃, õ, ɛ̃]): Australie, casquette, historique
- at the end of a word: un sens.

In the middle of a word, between two vowels, there are two possibilities as in the well-known pairs: poisson / poison, dessert/ désert.

The spelling “ss” between two vowels indicates the pronunciation [s]. Suisse, passé, assis, classe