How to Pronunciation (Word Endings – The Suffixes) EP.3

-s, -es, and -ies

In this lesson, we will focus on pronunciation in the English language. Good English pronunciation is very important for good communication.
Pronunciation is the way in which a word or letter is said, or said correctly, or the way in which a language is spoken. If you do not have clear English pronunciation, other people may not understand what you are saying.
In English, there are two parts of speech, which can end in the suffixes –s, -es, and –ies: third person singular verbs and some plural nouns.
The rules for pronouncing the suffixes –s, -es, and – ies on third person singular verbs and plural nouns are as follows:

1. It is pronounced /Iz/ after /s/, /z/, /x/, /ch/, /ce/, /ge/, /sh/, /se/, and /ze/
2. It is pronounced /s/ after /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, and voiceless consonants such as /gh/, /th/.
3. It is pronounced /z/ after /n/, /o/, /d/, /v/, /y/, /m/, /l/, and all other sounds.

When third person singular verbs are used with the subjects he, she, it, or other singular pronouns such as someone, nobody, etc… in the present simple tense, the speaker or writer must add the suffixes -s, -es, or -ies to the end of the regular verb.

The /s/ sound is considered to be voiceless, which means that you do not need to use your vocal cords in order to make the sound. The /z/ sound, however, is voiced, which means that you need to use your vocal cords in order to make the sound. The /Iz/ sound is also voiced, and it is the final syllable sound on the end of the word.

In English, nouns can be either regular or irregular. Most nouns are regular nouns, which mean that the suffixes –s, -es, and –ies can be added to the end of the word in order to form the plural version of the noun.