[NIFL-ESL:9733] Re: voiced or unvoiced S, pronunciation of sword.

From: susan guzzetta (scguzze@fresno.k12.ca.us)
Date: Thu Dec 18 2003 - 12:19:36 EST


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From: "susan guzzetta" <scguzze@fresno.k12.ca.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9733] Re: voiced or unvoiced S, pronunciation of sword.
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Those words are pronounces with the Z sound because the last consonant
before the "s" is voiced.  You can find the rules for when to pronounce
the final S as "s", "z", or "iz" in any phonetics/pronunciation book.

Susan Guzzetta

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Corinne
Moran
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 7:35 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9729] Re: voiced or unvoiced S, pronunciation of
sword.

Hello,
    I am a teacher of English as a Second Language and have been a
Speech
Teacher. The 'w' in sword is silent in American English, just as the 'b'
in
doubt is silent. There are others. You simply say the word as if the
letter
were not there.
    As far as I am concerned, correct pronunciation would have the 's'
in
the words you mentioned pronounced as a 'z' sound. I know it is harder
to
pronounce it that way, and we tend to take the easy way. When I teach, I
teach the correct way. I know however, there are many people who do not
follow that rule. Certainly, professional narrators on tapes should
model
correct pronunciation. Personally, I hate to see what is happening to
our
pronunciation. I may be in the minority, however.
 Corinne

----------
>From: çÇã¥Å@î¸íˆéq <applepie@minos.ocn.ne.jp>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
>Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9728] voiced or unvoiced S, pronunciation of sword.
>Date: Wed, Dec 17, 2003, 7:37 PM
>

> Hello, list members,
>
> In the words "sword, swordsman" "w" isn't pronounced, or so it says
in the
> dictionaries. The dictionaries give a special caution as to its
> pronunciation, saying "w" sound is not pronounced.
>
> One of the NHK English programs says there is a trend in which "w" is
> pronounced, especially in American English. How true is it? What is
your
> observation? Is there any recent research on this?
>
> I have also observed and  been hearing "dogs, please, trees"
pronounced with
> the last "S" sounds unvoiced. I know sometimes it's kind of hard to
say
> dogZ.
> DogS , unvoiced consonant is easier, but I hear more and more
professional
> narrators on the tapes and CDs say treeS instead of treeZ.
>
> Is this another trend?
>
> Mitsuko
> Japan
> 



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