sh or s? How to pronounce /ʃ/ and /s/
Short answer: The sound /ʃ/ (spelled sh, as in ship) is made with rounded lips and the tongue a little back. The sound /s/ (as in sip) is made with a smile and the tongue close to the top teeth. Changing the sound changes the word: ship and sip, she and see, sheet and seat are different words.
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At a glance
| Sound | Mouth | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| /ʃ/ | lips rounded, tongue a little back, a soft “shhh” | ship, she, sheet, shell, shock, shine |
| /s/ | lips in a smile, tongue near the top teeth, a sharp “sss” | sip, see, seat, sell, sock, sign |
How to make the sound
- For /ʃ/, round your lips a little and pull the tongue slightly back. Make a long, soft “shhh”.
- For /s/, smile and place the tongue near the top teeth. Make a sharp “sss”.
- Say the two sounds one after the other: shhh-sss-shhh-sss.
- Then say the pairs: ship-sip, she-see.
Pairs to practice
| With /ʃ/ | With /s/ |
|---|---|
| ship | sip |
| she | see |
| sheet | seat |
| shell | sell |
| shock | sock |
| shine | sign |
Examples in sentences
- She sells seashells.
she /ʃ/; sells /s/; seashells has both sounds. - The ship is on the sea.
ship /ʃ/; sea /s/. - I put on a clean sock.
sock /s/. - Please shut the door.
shut /ʃ/. - Sit on the sheet of paper.
sit /s/; sheet /ʃ/. - The shop is closed.
shop /ʃ/. - She is sure about it.
sure /ʃ/: the spelling s can be /ʃ/. - We eat sugar with tea.
sugar /ʃ/: another spelling of /ʃ/.
Common problems
- Making both sounds the same: If ship and sip sound alike, the listener cannot tell the words apart.
- Mixing sounds at the end of words: Final /ʃ/ and /s/ are easy to confuse: mesh and mess, lash and lass are different words.
- Trusting the spelling: The letter s is sometimes /ʃ/ (sugar, sure). The letters ti and ssi can be /ʃ/ too (station, mission).
For Vietnamese speakers
- Some Vietnamese speakers find /ʃ/ and /s/ hard to keep apart, especially at the end of a word. Practice final pairs such as wash and was slowly.
- Round your lips for /ʃ/ and watch them in a mirror.
/ʃ/, /s/ and /tʃ/
Three similar sounds appear in ship, sip and chip. Chip starts with a stop, then the sound /ʃ/.
| Word | Starts with |
|---|---|
| ship | /ʃ/ |
| sip | /s/ |
| chip | /tʃ/ |
Check yourself
- Which word has /ʃ/: “sip” or “ship”?
Show the answer
ship sh is /ʃ/.
- Which sound is made with a smile?
Show the answer
/s/ The lips are spread for /s/.
- Is the s in “sugar” /s/ or /ʃ/?
Show the answer
/ʃ/ In sugar, the letter s is pronounced /ʃ/.
Questions
Why does the spelling not match the sound?
English spelling is not always regular. The letter s is /ʃ/ in sugar and sure, and the letters ti are /ʃ/ in station.
Is /ʃ/ voiced or voiceless?
Voiceless. You feel only air. The voiced partner is /ʒ/, as in measure.
How do I practice the final sound?
Say pairs such as mess and mesh, or lass and lash, and listen to the last sound.
More lessons in this part
- Short i or long ee? ship, sheep
- th, s or d? think, sink, they, day
- ch, sh or j? chip, ship, jam
- l, r or n? light, right, night
- a, e or u? bag, beg, bug
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool: Sound Contrast & Articulation. 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