One ending, three sounds: the -s ending

Objective & content

This Sound Check video (about 4 minutes) fixes one mistake: saying the written -s ending in one way only. Freya (British) and Cody (American) show that the last sound of the word decides. After a sound with no buzz, -s is a hiss: cats, books. After a buzzing sound or a vowel, it is a buzz: dogs, boys. After a word that already hisses or hushes, English adds a whole extra beat: boxes, watches. Students repeat cats, dogs and boxes, then one sentence. Then they play a three-round game: which ending did you hear?

Pedagogical guide

The trap depends on the first language. French learners often leave the ending out, because the plural s is silent in French. German, Polish and Dutch learners harden a final buzz into a hiss. Spanish and Italian learners do not hear s and z as two sounds. Portuguese learners may say a sound like sh. Use the video's tests. Put a hand on the throat: if it buzzes for dog or boy, the ending must buzz too. Count syllables: box is one, boxes is two. Both hosts say these endings the same way: there is no British or American difference to explain here. The game tests listening only, so check the speaking yourself.

Suggested procedure

1. Before (3 min). Write cats, dogs and boxes on the board. Ask students to say them. Do the endings sound the same?
2. Watch (5 min). Play the video once. Students repeat aloud when the hosts say "Try it with us", "Say them with me" and "Now a sentence, with me".
3. Game (3 min). Play the game again. Pause each time a host says "Listen..." and the word, before the other host gives the answer. The class says s, z or iz.
4. After (4 min). In pairs, one student says books, boys or watches. The partner says which ending it was.

Materials & prerequisites

• The video, a screen and sound for the whole class.
• The example words are at about A1+ level. Students do not need phonetic symbols.

Assessment & extensions

Say walks, boys and watches in random order. Students show one, two or three fingers for s, z and iz.