The Two Sounds of Final S

The two sounds of final s, /s/ and /z/, can be a confusing concept for beginning and struggling learners. After creating a pack for the three sounds of _ed, I created this hands-on printable pack for you.

You might also like our Interactive Inflected Endings Bundle Pack!

*The download can be found at the END of this post. Look for and click on the teal download button.

I have two quick things I feel are important to note before getting to the freebies:

1. The terms voice and unvoiced are important concepts for kids to understand in order to know when to use /z/ and /s/ on the end of words.

Voiced sounds are sounds that engage the vocal folds. In other words, when you put your hand on your neck/throat, you can feel your vocal folds vibrating. Sounds like /b/, /d/ /m/, and /g/ are voiced sounds. So are all the vowels.

Because /z/ is a voiced sound, it comes after words that end with voiced sounds. Say these words and listen for the /z/ sound at the end of stars, webs, flags, or runs.

Unvoiced sounds do not engage the vocal folds. When you place your hand on your neck/throat, you will not feel a vibration. Sounds such as /t/, /f/, /k/, and /p/ are unvoiced sounds.

Because /s/ is an unvoiced sound, it comes after words that end with unvoiced sounds. Say these words and listen for the /s/ sound: rocks, cats, mops, or sits.

2. Encourage learners to say these words OUT LOUD, as /z/ can be mistaken for /s/ if you’re whispering.

I also encourage you to say the words out loud because when we whisper, we typically don’t use our vocal folds, even for voiced sounds. This means that your voiced /z/ can be mistaken for /s/.

Okay, now for the freebies! This pack comes with:

1. One-page Chart for remembering the two sounds of -s. {This is offered in color and blackline.}

2. Word Sort – Learners cut apart the sort and sort them under “Sounds like s” and “Sounds like z.” The sort comes in two versions: one with the base word underlined and one without the base words underlined. This can help you better differentiate for learners on different levels with this concept.

3. Read, Highlight, & Circle – Learners read the sentence, find the word that ends with -s, highlight it, then circle {or highlight} the sound the final -s makes, either /s/ or /z/.