Lessons Unit 3, lesson 15
z + vowels
The z beginning opening into every vowel it starts words with. Get the mouth ready for z, release straight into the vowel — no gap, no extra sound between them.
What do the marks mean?
Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.
zthe z in zoo
Say s, then switch your voice on: zzz, like a bee. Your tongue stays exactly where it was for s.
z + every vowel
One row per combination. Tap any word to hear it — every sheet comes straight from the tool.
| z ɪ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| z iː | |||
| z uː |
A rare beginning
Very few English words start with z, and almost all of them, like zero, zebra, and zoo, came into the language from somewhere else. That's why this table is shorter than most of the others — z is common at the end of words (as, is, dogs) but uncommon as the very first sound of a word.
Voicing that never lets up
Z is s with the voice turned on, so keep your tongue in the same groove behind your teeth and just add a buzz, like a bee. Zoom rounds the lips a little earlier than zip or zinc because of the vowel that follows.
Say each word with a hand on your throat, checking the buzz starts immediately and never fades into a hiss partway through, especially on longer words like zebra. Since this table is short, drill it several times in a row rather than moving on quickly — repetition matters more than variety here.