Hello there!
This is the "Sounds American" channel.
In this video,
we're going to talk about the American consonant sound /ʒ/,
as in the word "vision."
You can also hear this sound in words like
"measure" - "usual" - "beige" or "massage."
We'll be using a special phonetic symbol - /ʒ/ - for this sound.
As usual, let's begin with some phonology.
Stay calm, it's not complicated :).
The /ʒ/ belongs to a category of consonant sounds called the fricatives.
This is the largest group of consonants in American English:
it consists of nine different sounds!
Take a look:
So, why are they called the fricative consonants?
All these sounds are made by partially blocking the air moving through your mouth,
which creates an audible friction.
Speaking about the /ʒ/ consonant,
- this sound is made by partially blocking the air,
flowing between the blade of your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
The /ʒ/ sound is incredibly rare.
It's present in less than 1% of English words.
You know, it's okay if you think that this sound isn't worth the trouble learning it.
But you'll have to avoid using words like
It's your decision, of course, but we kind of like these words.
So, let's find out how to make the /ʒ/ sound.
Slightly open your mouth and round your lips.
You may push them out a little.
Now, focus on your tongue.
Arch your tongue and raise it to the roof of your mouth, but don't touch it.
Make sure there's a small gap between them.
Next, release a stream of air over your tongue.
When the air flows between the blade of your tongue and the roof of your mouth, it'll create lots of noise.
Something like this: /ʒ/.
The /ʒ/ is a voiced sound, so don't forget to add your voice.
Remember, the fricatives are continuous sounds
and this is also true for the /ʒ/ consonant.
So, let's try and stretch it out.
Ready?
Awesome.
Want to try it one more time?
Here are a few typical mistakes that people make when pronouncing this sound.
The most common mistake is that many non-native speakers devoice the /ʒ/ sound.
Usually, people don't realize that they pronounce the voiceless /ʃ/ sound instead.
Remember, this may work for other languages, but the American /ʒ/ should never be devoiced in words.
Compare:
By the way, don't forget to lengthen the vowel before the /ʒ/ sound!
Remember our Vowel Length rule?
The /ʒ/ is a voiced consonant,
so the vowel sound before the /ʒ/ is typically longer
than before its voiceless counterpart, the consonant sound /ʃ/.
Compare the length of the vowels in these words:
We talked about the Vowel Length rule in detail in one of our previous videos.
Check the link in the Description below.
Another problem is that some people involuntarily stop the air before making the /ʒ/ sound.
As a result, they end up pronouncing a different sound, the /dʒ/ consonant.
While this is a nice sound, you shouldn't pronounce it instead of the /ʒ/.
Why?
Because this can lead to misunderstandings!
Compare:
OK, now how about some practice?
This is the only way to work on your American accent!
This is how it works.
You'll see a word on the screen and hear its pronunciation.
Like this.
You'll have a few seconds to pronounce the word.
♪
Do your best and work on as many words as possible.
Let's begin!
You're done! Congratulations!
You probably know that there's no special letter for the /ʒ/ sound in English.
As with other unfortunate sounds, the /ʒ/ is represented by various letters.
Most often, it's written as the letter 's',
like in the words "measure" or "version".
Significantly less often, this sound is represented by the letter 'g',
like in "concierge" or "regime."
Sometimes, it's written as the letter "z',
like in the words "seizure" or "azure."
And finally, in rare cases, it's represented by the letter 't',
like in the word "equation."
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