Sounds & pronunciation
Use familiar English words to learn what IPA symbols describe: where a consonant is made, how air passes, and whether the voice vibrates.
GUIDED LESSONStart here
A pronunciation guide becomes more useful when “voiced fricative” tells you something you can actually try. This lesson builds that vocabulary from sun, zoo, fan and van. Read the examples, try the sounds if you wish, then classify a new pair.
By the end: Describe [s], [z], [f] and [v] by place, airflow and voicing, and distinguish a sound from its spelling.
What you need: The examples below. A mirror is optional; no microphone, uploaded recording or audio software is needed. The page does not supply recorded pronunciation.
Before you begin: No IPA knowledge needed. This introductory analysis uses English consonants; it is not a complete pronunciation guide.
How to work through this lesson
- Learn the three questions in the definitions. Square brackets show a speech sound; an ordinary letter in a word is spelling.
- Compare sun/zoo and fan/van using the table. If speaking aloud, say the sounds comfortably rather than forcing a long buzz.
- Classify [t] and [d] using the supplied clues, then explain why the two letters in “sh” do not mean two consonant sounds.
Three questions that describe a consonant
Start with a familiar sound rather than memorising a chart. Say sun and zoo, or read the descriptions below if you are not practising aloud. We are interested in their initial consonants: [s] and [z]. Brackets mean “this speech sound”; they do not tell you how an ordinary alphabet letter is pronounced in every language.
- Place
- Where the airflow is narrowed or stopped. “Alveolar” means near the ridge just behind the upper front teeth; “labiodental” means lower lip and upper teeth.
- Manner
- What happens to the airflow. A stop closes it briefly; a fricative leaves a narrow passage that produces friction.
- Voicing
- Whether the vocal folds vibrate during the sound. [s] is voiceless and [z] is voiced.
Worked example: sun, zoo, fan and van
Read each pair horizontally in the table. In sun/zoo, the broad place and manner stay the same while voicing differs. Fan/van gives the same voicing contrast at a different place.
| Example | Sound | Place | Manner | Voicing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sun | [s] | Alveolar | Fricative | Voiceless |
| zoo | [z] | Alveolar | Fricative | Voiced |
| fan | [f] | Labiodental | Fricative | Voiceless |
| van | [v] | Labiodental | Fricative | Voiced |
Find the sound in the word.
Use the beginning of sun, then the beginning of zoo. Do not say the letter names “ess” and “zee”; those contain extra sounds.
Compare how air passes.
Both [s] and [z] can continue through a narrow passage. Compare that with the brief closure at the beginning of top [t]. This separates fricative from stop.
Compare voicing.
Try the sound between vowels, as in a slow “ah–z–ah”, then “ah–s–ah”. Gentle contact with the outside of the throat may help notice vibration. Do not press or force the sound; vibration can be less obvious in an isolated consonant.
Say the complete description.
[z] is a voiced alveolar fricative. Each word now answers one of the three questions: voice, place and manner.
Why spelling can mislead you
The first sound of ship is commonly written with two letters, sh, but represented by one IPA symbol, [ʃ]. It is a voiceless postalveolar fricative: the constriction is a little farther back than for [s]. Count the pronounced consonant, not the letters used to spell it.
This lesson introduces description, not a complete accent or pronunciation course. A language-specific guide must also explain its contrasts, vowels, stress, tone where relevant and connected speech. Use the next link to work in a particular language.
Try it yourself
Write your answer before opening the explanation. Use the worked example if you get stuck.
Question 1
The beginning of top is [t], and the beginning of dot is [d]. Both use an alveolar closure. What stays the same, and what changes?
Show answer and reasoning
Both are alveolar stops: the broad place and brief closure match. [t] is voiceless and [d] is voiced. Exact timing and release vary with context, so this is a broad classification rather than a promise that every [d] has continuous vibration.
Question 2
Compare [f] in fan with [s] in sun. Which of the three features changes?
Show answer and reasoning
Both are voiceless fricatives, so voicing and manner match. Place changes: [f] uses the lower lip and upper teeth; [s] uses an alveolar constriction.
Question 3
Does the spelling sh in ship represent two consonant sounds? How would you record the initial consonant?
Show answer and reasoning
In the ordinary example used here it represents one consonant, [ʃ]. Record its sound as a voiceless postalveolar fricative. Do not replace a sound description with the number or names of its spelling letters.
Summary + next step
- Identify the sound in an example word before naming it.
- Place, manner and voicing describe different features.
- IPA symbols describe sounds; familiar spelling is not a universal pronunciation key.
Keep the result: Keep a four-column note: example word, IPA sound, how it is made, and what changes in its partner.
Sources and further reading
Use the official IPA chart for the symbol categories and MIT lecture 5 for the articulatory descriptions. Follow the language-specific guides for the sounds and contrasts of your chosen language.
Lesson updated 2026-10-22 · Guidance updated 2026-10-22
Coverage and further development
Describe [s], [z], [f] and [v] by place, airflow and voicing, and distinguish a sound from its spelling.
Further development: Vowels, phonemic contrasts, connected speech and reviewed audio examples.