How to pronounce -s and -es: /s/, /z/ and /ɪz/
Short answer: The ending -s or -es has three sounds. It is /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats, books), /z/ after voiced sounds (dogs, plays) and /ɪz/ after hissing sounds (buses, wishes, watches). Only /ɪz/ adds a syllable. The same rule works for plural nouns, the he/she/it verb form and the possessive ’s.
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At a glance
| Sound before the ending | Ending sounds like | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| voiceless (p, t, k, f, th) | /s/ | cats, books, cups, laughs |
| voiced (b, d, g, v, l, m, n, r and vowels) | /z/ | dogs, bags, pens, plays, runs |
| s, z, sh, ch, j sounds | /ɪz/ (an extra syllable) | buses, quizzes, wishes, watches, judges |
How to make the sound
- Say the base word and listen to its last sound.
- If it is a hissing sound (/s z ʃ ʒ tʃ dʒ/), add a syllable /ɪz/: watch → watches /ˈwɑtʃɪz/.
- If it is voiceless, say /s/: cat → cats /kæts/.
- If it is voiced (including vowels), say /z/: dog → dogs /dɔgz/, play → plays /pleɪz/.
- Say the ending clearly, even in fast speech.
Same ending, three sounds
| Word | Ending | Syllables |
|---|---|---|
| cats | /s/ | 1 |
| books | /s/ | 1 |
| dogs | /z/ | 1 |
| plays | /z/ | 1 |
| buses | /ɪz/ | 2 |
| watches | /ɪz/ | 2 |
Examples in sentences
- The cats sleep.
cats ends with /s/. - She plays the piano.
plays ends with /z/. - He watches TV.
watches has two syllables: /ˈwɑtʃɪz/. - My dog’s bowl is empty.
dog’s is /dɔgz/: the possessive follows the same rule. - Two boxes are on the table.
boxes is /ˈbɑksɪz/: x is /ks/, a hissing sound. - He reads books every night.
reads ends with /z/; books ends with /s/. - The bus stops here.
stops ends with /s/. - She washes her hands.
washes is /ˈwɑʃɪz/: two syllables.
Common problems
- Saying /s/ for every ending: After a voiced sound, the ending becomes /z/: dogs, not “dogss”.
- Adding a vowel to every -s: Only hissing sounds add /ɪz/. Say cats /kæts/, not “cat-iz”.
- Leaving the ending out: Saying cat for cats, or play for plays, changes the meaning and the grammar.
For Vietnamese speakers
- Vietnamese does not add endings for the plural or for he/she/it, so -s is easy to leave out. Practice saying it clearly, especially /z/ and /ɪz/.
- A final /z/ can feel unfamiliar. Hold the voice (buzz) until the end of the word: dogs.
-s and -ed endings
Both endings follow the same idea: the sound before the ending decides how it is said.
| Ending | After a voiceless sound | After a voiced sound | After t / d or hissing sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| -s / -es | /s/ | /z/ | /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j |
| -ed | /t/ | /d/ | /ɪd/ after t and d |
Check yourself
- How do you say the -s in “dogs”?
Show the answer
/z/ g is voiced, so -s is /z/.
- How do you say the ending in “watches”?
Show the answer
/ɪz/, with two syllables. ch is a hissing sound, so the ending adds a syllable.
- How do you say the -s in “books”?
Show the answer
/s/ k is voiceless, so -s is /s/.
Questions
Why is -s sometimes /z/?
After a voiced sound, the ending is voiced too. In dogs the g is voiced, so the s becomes z.
Does the contraction he’s follow the same rule?
Yes. he’s is /hiz/ and it’s is /ɪts/. The sound before decides.
Does -es always make a new syllable?
Only after hissing sounds: buses, wishes. In goes and does, -es is just /z/: goes /goʊz/.
More lessons in this part
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool: Word Pronunciation Rules. See also the English pronunciation guide. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30