{"id":457,"date":"2025-03-23T11:50:21","date_gmt":"2025-03-23T11:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webpublishing.oit.ncsu.edu\/frenchrx-ncsu-edu\/?page_id=457"},"modified":"2025-05-14T19:23:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T19:23:27","slug":"rx-6-s-vs-z","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/webpublishing.oit.ncsu.edu\/frenchrx-ncsu-edu\/rx-6-s-vs-z\/","title":{"rendered":"Rx 6. [s] vs. [z]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Read and listen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just like in English, the letter “s” can be pronounced in different ways. Think about the words “occasion” and “explosion.” What do you notice about the “s”? Does it sound like [s] or [z]? In French, “s” is usually pronounced as [s], but just like in the English examples, ‘s’ is pronounced as [z] between two vowels<\/strong>: visage, oiseau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the way “ss” varies in English between “dessert” where it sounds like [z] and “Mississippi” where it sounds like [s], “ss” is always <\/strong>pronounced as [s]: poiss<\/strong>on, dess<\/strong>ert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter “s,” which is usually silent at the end of French words (see our lesson on the final \u201cs\u201d), is pronounced as [z] when the following word begins with a vowel. We call this a liaison<\/strong>. You will hear it in the dialogue for “mes amis” [me za mi], but it’s not the focus of this lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Listen to this dialogue and notice when you hear “s” pronounced as [s] or [z].<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

D : Salut Isabelle! <\/em>
I : Salut Denise! <\/em>
D: Qu’est-ce que tu fais le samedi d’habitude?<\/em>
I : Euh… Je passe du temps avec mes amis, on sort dans la ville, on s’amuse bien! Et toi?<\/em>
D : Moi, je reste \u00e0 la maison! Je fais la vaisselle, je fais la lessive, je repasse le linge, je passe l’aspirateur, je cuisine. Bref, je suis tr\u00e8s occup\u00e9e!<\/em>
I : Ah bon?! R\u00e9solument, nos week-ends ne se ressemblent pas…\u00e7a te dit de se voir samedi prochain ?<\/em>
D : Malheureusement, je ne peux pas! Et puis, je dois te laisser! J’ai beaucoup de choses \u00e0 faire!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n