Sometimes I hear English speakers pronounce "z" very close to "s" in some words. I wonder if it's common, from a dialect, mispronounced, or just I misheard it. For example, "zero" sounds like "sero" and "citizen" sounds like "citisen". Is that acceptable, or in no case should it happen?
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4Where did you hear this? Where I live (SE USA), the z is very distinct in zero.– FeliniusRex - goneCommented Jan 18, 2022 at 21:18
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@FeliniusRex Sorry I couldn't remember where, maybe even from online videos or phone calls. I did sometimes hear people pronounce "z" nearly voiceless while my pronunciation is obviously voiced. So I was always wondering if my pronunciation was "over-voiced". But I don't have an example video for now.– ProtossShuttleCommented Jan 18, 2022 at 21:23
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1For "citizen", yes, I could imagine hearing it pronounced close to "cisisen". As for "zero", in the right context, like, "It's zero", where the "s" before it creates a voiceless environment, "zero" might be pronounced closer to "sero". But without that environment, like in, "The answer is zero" where the "-s" is pronounced "z", only a non-native speaker would pronounce it "sero".– gotube ♦Commented Jan 18, 2022 at 21:54
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1@FeliniusRex Yes, same in my part of South England, the "z" on zero is pronounced very differently from "s". Also "citizn" is the usual pronunciation round here. This is based on "Received pronunciation" or RP.– Peter JenningsCommented Jan 19, 2022 at 11:15
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1 Answer
The pronunciations are usually distinct. For example, "doze" and "dose" are usually distinguished pretty easily.
A few caveats:
I live in the U.S. Northeast. Pronunciations in other regions might vary.
Some instances of "z" are not voiced. This is normal, for example, after "t" (spritz, putz, spitz, etc.). However, such instances are somewhat rare.
The reverse is not true; "s" is often voiced. But that's another issue.
answered Jan 18, 2022 at 23:39
