Speech sounds · IPA /z/
The Z sound /z/
About 9 in 10 US children say /z/, as in “zoo,” by age 4 (4;0 to 4;11). Crowe & McLeod, 2020 (opens in a new tab)
The symbol
Spelled s more than z
English spells /z/ with the letter s even more often than with z: nose, knows, lazy. Univ. of Manitoba (opens in a new tab)
Many plurals end in a z sound too. Listen to dogs, bees and toys.
How to say it
How Z is made
Z is S with the voice switched on.
- S positionThe tongue is set up the same way as for s.
- Voice onThe voice box buzzes like a bee.
- Long soundZ can be held. It does not stop like d.
- Same lisp riskA lisp on s often shows up on z as well. Bowen (opens in a new tab)
See it move: Seeing Speech (opens in a new tab) · Univ. of Iowa (opens in a new tab) · ASHA place, manner and voicing chart (opens in a new tab)
Age
When children say Z
Common errors
What errors on Z sound like
- StoppingZ becomes d, as in “doo” for “zoo.” ASHA lists stopping of z as usually resolved by about age 4. ASHA patterns (opens in a new tab)
- Final z left offDropping the end sound, as in “no” for “nose,” is final consonant deletion. ASHA uses this example. ASHA patterns (opens in a new tab)
- LispsFrontal and lateral lisps can affect z as well as s. Bowen (opens in a new tab)
Voicing pairs: s and z (8 pairs)
Hand on the throat: quiet for s, buzzing for z.
- sip / zip
- sue / zoo
- bus / buzz
- ice / eyes
- race / raise
- price / prize
- place / plays
- sink / zinc
Practice
Z word lists
Practice the position your SLP chose. Open one list at a time.
Few kid words start with z. Plurals like bees and toes give lots of end practice.
Start of words (8 words)
- zoo
- zip
- zero
- zebra
- zigzag
- zipper
- zoom
- zone
Middle of words (12 words)
- lazy
- busy
- easy
- puzzle
- music
- fuzzy
- dizzy
- cousin
- daisy
- noisy
- raisin
- scissors
End of words (12 words)
- nose
- cheese
- bees
- rose
- shoes
- eyes
- buzz
- fizz
- toes
- prize
- sneeze
- hose
Phrases (6)
- zip the zipper
- busy bees
- a fuzzy zebra
- cheese for the mouse
- noisy music
- close your eyes
Sentences (6)
- The zebra is at the zoo.
- Bees buzz on the rose.
- Zip up your coat.
- My shoes have zippers.
- The puzzle is easy.
- Close your eyes and sneeze.
Prints every list on one page.
Carryover tip
Practice Z with a song
Buzz the tune of a favorite song on zzz, like a bee, before singing the words.
In one study, the same number of speech sessions given 3 times a week worked better than once a week. Allen, 2013 (opens in a new tab) Why songs can help
For parents
A 5-minute Z routine
- 01
Be a bee
Make a long buzzing zzz.
- 02
S to z
Hiss sss, then add voice to buzz zzz.
- 03
Plural hunt
Count toys out loud: two cars, three dolls.
- 04
Word list
Practice five Z words from your SLP’s list.
- 05
Zoo trip
Name zoo animals and zebra stripes.
For SLPs
Clinical notes on /z/
Plural and verb endings (bees, runs) give many natural /z/ trials in conversation.
Ages vary widely: across US studies, /z/ reached 90% anywhere from 30 to 84 months. Crowe & McLeod, 2020 (opens in a new tab)
If /s/ is in treatment, probe /z/ before treating it separately; the two share placement.
Questions
When should a child say z?
About 9 in 10 US children say /z/ by age 4 (4;0 to 4;11). Crowe & McLeod, 2020 (opens in a new tab)
Why do so many words end in a z sound?
Many plurals and verbs use a z sound: dogs, bees, runs.
My child says “doo” for “zoo.” Is that okay?
That is stopping. ASHA lists it as usually gone by about age 4. ASHA patterns (opens in a new tab)
Does a lisp affect z?
Often, yes. Z uses the same tongue position as s. Bowen (opens in a new tab)
Sources
All sources (13)
- Crowe, K., & McLeod, S. (2020). Children’s English consonant acquisition in the United States: A review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(4), 2155-2169. ASHA Journals (opens in a new tab)
- Same paper on PubMed. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA Practice Portal. Selected phonological patterns. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA Practice Portal. Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
- Russell, K. IPA symbol [z]. University of Manitoba. Univ. of Manitoba (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA Practice Portal. Place, manner, and voicing chart for English consonants (Roth & Worthington, 2018). PDF (opens in a new tab)
- International Phonetic Association. The IPA chart. IPA (opens in a new tab)
- Seeing Speech: IPA charts with ultrasound and MRI. Seeing Speech (opens in a new tab)
- University of Iowa. Sounds of American English. Univ. of Iowa (opens in a new tab)
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Sound Development Chart (2021). PDF (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA (public). Speech sound disorders. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
- Allen, M. M. (2013). Intervention efficacy and intensity for children with speech sound disorder. JSLHR, 56(3), 865-877. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
- Bowen, C. Lisping: when s and z are hard to say. speech-language-therapy.com (a source ASHA cites for its phonological pattern ages). Caroline Bowen (opens in a new tab)
Links go to third-party sites and are not endorsements. Last checked October 17, 2026.
For clinics
Songs for /R/, /S/ and /L/
CantaLingo’s 20-song pilot covers the three sounds most often worked on at ages 4 to 6. The SLP picks the song; families replay it at home.