Back to Basics: Voicing Consonants
There are two types of consonants in English : voiced and voiceless (or unvoiced consonants). Examine the difference and feel the vibration of your vocal cords as you make the following sounds :
pup (voiceless) vs pub (voiced)
life (voiceless) vs live concert (voiced)
Voiced and Voiceless Consonants
Here is a list of English voiced consonants and consonant sounds :
/b/ bit /d/ door /g/ get /m/ man /n/ nice
/ng/ king /v/ van /th/ then /z/ zip /zh/ leisure
/r/ rat /l/ leg /j/ jump
The semi-vowels /w/ and /y/ also belong to the group of voiced consonants :
/w/ wet /y/ yet
Here are the voiceless consonants and consonant sounds.
The voice remains passive. The vocal cords do not vibrate.
/p/ pope /t*/ time /k/ cow /f/ fan /th/ think
/s**/ sad /sh/ shop /h/ hat /ch/ chop
*Except when followed by /–ed/
Note the two variations of the /th/ sound :
Voiced /th/ that those them
Voiceless /th/ thought threatened thoroughly
Theodore and Thelma thought that those thugs threatened them thoroughly
TIPS
There is a small difference in vowel length between voiced and voiceless sounds.
Voiceless = short Voiced = slightly longer
mat mad
dock dog
kilt killed
The ‘Voiced to Voiceless’ Rule
Also note that when a word ends with a voiced consonant, and the next word begins with the voiceless equivalent, the voiced consonant at the end of the first word becomes voiceless, too.
Example: the word ‘please.’
Please be seated. “Please” here is pronounced “Pleeze”
[Voiced /s/ = /z/ sound; normal pronunciation]
Please sit. “Please (sit)” here is pronounced “Pleessit”
[Voiceless /s/, as the normally voiced /s/ in
“Please” is directly followed by the unvoiced
/s/ sound in “sit”]
Applications in Past Forms ending in /-ed/
Voiced /-ed/
For regular English past verb forms and adjectives ending in /-ed/ : when preceded by voiced consonants, the /d/ in /–ed/ is voiced. Examples :
/v/ lived
/m/ jammed
/d/ breaded
If a vowel or vowel sound precedes /-ed/, the /d/ is voiced because vowels are always naturally voiced.
Example :
[ay/eigh] stayed weighed*
*(Note that the /gh/ is silent, therefore the /–ed/ is preceded by a vowel sound).
Voiceless /-ed/
Likewise, when preceded by a voiceless consonant, the /d/ in /ed/ is voiceless :
the final /d/ sounds like /t/.
Examples :
/p/ hoped(hope’t)
/k/ kicked(kicke’t)
/sh/ blushed(blush’t)
Exception : Although /t/ is a voiceless consonant, if /–ed/ is preceded by a /t/, it is voiced.
Examples :
greeted seated started
Applications in Plural Forms ending in / -s / and / -es /
Voiced / s /
As with past forms ending in / -ed /, the pattern of voiced and voiceless endings can also be found in plural forms. If there is a voiced consonant preceding the / s / at the end of a plural noun, then the / s / will be voiced (pronounced / z / ).
Examples :
/ n / machines (machinz)
/ g / bags (bagz)
If the plural noun features a vowel sound, the / s / is also voiced and becomes a / z /.
Example :
[ea/ eə ] chairs (chairz)
To make the voiced / s / sound, you have to feel the vibrations in your throat and between the blade of the tongue and the gum ridge. For sound examples, please refer to the Audio Recording.
Voiceless / s /
If the final / s / is preceded by a voiceless consonant, the / s / will also be voiceless (pronounced / s / ).
Examples :
/k/ parks
/t/ bats
/p/ pipes
Voiced / -es /
The final / -es / in the plural form of noun sending in one of the following sounds (called sibilant sounds)can be pronounced as / iz / (more careful pronunciation) or /schwa(ә) + / z / ( әz )/ (more casual pronunciation), i.e. , buses= busiz/ busәz.
/ z / / s / / sh / / zh / / ts* / / dg / / tch /
*This is rare.
Examples :
[s] buses [z] quizzes [sh] crashes
[zh] garages [tch] watches [dg] bridges
Please note that there are also plurals with irregular pronunciations :
house » houses(houziz)
Applications in Third Person Verbs ending in / s /
Exactly the same rules apply to the final / s / of third‐person verb forms; the pronunciation of the final / s / depends on the sound that comes before it. If a voiced consonant precedes the / s /, it is pronounced as voiced / z /. If a voiceless consonant precedes the / s /, it is pronounced as voiceless / s /.
Examples :
He runs (runz)
He watches (watchiz /He watchәz)
He spits (spits)
Applications in Possessive / s /
Again the pronunciation of the possessive / s / depends on the sound that comes before it.
Voiced possessive / s /
When the final / s / is preceded by a voiced consonant, the final / s / is voiced.
Examples :
This is Paul’s (Paul’z)
John’s (John’z)
At the Doctor’s (Doctiz) (the / r / is silent)
James’ (Jamziz)
Voiceless possessive / s /
When the final / s / is preceded by a voiceless consonant, the final / s / is unvoiced.
Examples :
Pat’s (Pat’s)
Jack’s (Jack’s)
The president’s mansion (The president’s mansion)
Bonus Exercises
Voiced Consonants
Practise these sounds frequently, paying close attention to the difference between unvoiced and voiced sounds. For maximum practise value, the sounds to be practised are mostly at the end of the words listed.
/b/ bob rob snob mob dub cub cob bib fib rib
/d/ dud did lid stud node dude deed need food mood
/g/ gig gag tag nag rig dig dog mug plug hog
/m/ mum maim ham tame lame tom dome roam drum gum
/n/ nan nun bun sun tan can fan plan one ton
/ng/ ring thing dung among lung wrong song long hang sang
/v/ live sieve love cove brave save leave heave weave suave
/th/ the loathe soothe breathe writhe bathe
swathe without them those
/z/ biz wiz quiz doze sneeze breeze wheeze craze glaze maze
/zh/ leisure pleasure measure treasure garage
camouflage entourage massage barrage mirage
/r/ nearer bearer rural carer rarer
career moron rerun boring hearing
/l/ bill till will cull mull wall tall fall steel wheel
/j/ john jump gin jockey jury george bridge ledge pledge gauge
/w/ wet wind way we woe wing wear weir woo why
/y/ yet yankee yiddish yuletide young yeovil kayak yuck
yard yield
Unvoiced Consonants
/p/ pip pup tip dip top pop stop map cap lap
/t/ tat tut lit knit cut gut got not hut hot
/k/ kick cook tick pick luck stuck knock rock knack whack
/f/ fluff staff whiff if life strife wife stuff huff bluff
/th/ tooth heath breath wealth plinth tenth myth smooth uncouth youth
/s/ sis suss kiss miss loss toss floss class brightness eagerness
/sh/ shish posh sash lash mash cash bush blush lush moustache
/h/ hat he hot hay him her high heel hut hint
/ch/ cheech chip chop cheque choke mitch stitch leech bleach watch
Voiced vs Unvoiced Consonants: Direct Comparison
/b/ vs /p/ mob mop
/d/ vs /t/ kid kit
/g/ vs /k/ mug muck
/ng/ vs /nk/ thing think*
/v/ vs /f/ weave whiff
/th/ vs /th/ they think
/z/ vs /s/ doze doss
/zh/ vs /sh/ measure mesher
/j/ vs /ch/ joke choke
Voiced and Unvoiced /–ed/ Endings
Voiced /–ed/
robbed dubbed breaded needed tagged nagged
tamed canned ringed loved loathed sneezed
measured billed hedged stowed buoyed
Unvoiced /–ed/
tipped dipped kicked picked fluffed stuffed
toothed missed lashed leeched
Voiced vs Unvoiced /–ed/ Endings : Direct Comparison
/b vs /p/ mobbed mopped
/d/ vs /t/* studded started
/g/ vs /k/ tugged tucked
/ng/ vs /nk/ winged winked
/v/ vs /f/ lived tiffed
/th/ vs /th/ breathed toothed
/z/ vs /s/ mazed maced
/zh/ vs /sh/ massaged moustache
/j/ vs /ch/ budged botched
Voiced and Unvoiced Plural /–s/ and /-es/ Endings
Voiced plural /s/ and /es/
snobs deeds gigs mums cans rings
coves swathes quizzes measures bears berrie
bills bridges
Voiced plural /-s/: semi – vowels
blows laye(r)s
Unvoiced plural /–s/
tips lips hits hats kicks rocks
quiffs tiffs moths sloths
Possessive /s/ after Voiced Consonants
Bob’s Jill’s George’s Tom’s
Rob’s house the dog’s basket Viv’s husband mum’s birthday
Possessive /s/ after Unvoiced Consonants
Pat’s Mick’s Kate’s Matt’s
Jack’s bar his wife’s uncle Mike’s job life’s troubles