Consonant Sound / ʒ / as in "vision" - American English Pronunciation
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- Опубликовано: 16 июн 2024
- The / ʒ / sound is one of, if not the rarest sounds in American English. If you take 10,000 most common English words, only 74 words will have the /ʒ/ sound. Trust us, we counted them all.
So if you wonder if you can safely skip this sound, go ahead. But if you're not that kind of person, this video is for you.
You'll find out how to pronounce the /ʒ/ consonant correctly and practice making this sound with pronunciation exercises recorded by a professional speech therapist.
Check out our website: soundsamerican.net/
Quick Links:
• Consonant sound /ʒ/, as in "vision:" 00:00
• A brief overview of fricative consonants: 00:47
• Fricative consonants definition: 01:38
• How to pronounce the /ʒ/ sound: 02:47
• Typical mistakes: 04:11
• Pronunciation exercise: 06:20
• Spelling for the /ʒ/ sound: 08:29
Related Videos:
#AmericanPronunciation #ConsonantSounds #FricativeSounds
► Consonant Sound /f/ as in "fun" • Consonant Sound / f / ...
► Consonant Sound /v/ as in "very" • Consonant Sound / v / ...
► Consonant Sound /s/ as in "sun" • Consonant Sound / s / ...
► Consonant Sound /z/ as in "zoo" • Consonant Sound / z / ...
► Consonant Sound /ʃ/ as in "show" • Consonant Sound / ʃ / ...
► Consonant Sound /ʒ/ as in "vision" - this video
► Consonant Sound /θ/ as in "think" • 'TH': Consonant Sound ...
► Consonant Sound /ð/ as in "this" • 'TH': Consonant Sound ...
► Consonant Sound /h/ as in "home" • Consonant Sound / h / ...
[THIS VIDEO HAS ENGLISH, VIETNAMESE, AND PORTUGUESE SUBTITLES]
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TRANSCRIPT
Hello there! This is the "Sounds American" channel.
In this video, we're going to talk about the American consonant sound /ʒ/,
as in the word "vision."
You can also hear this sound in words like "measure," "usual," "beige" or "massage."
We'll be using a special phonetic symbol - /ʒ/ - for this sound.
As usual, let's begin with some phonology. Stay calm, it's not complicated :).
The /ʒ/ belongs to a category of consonant sounds called the fricatives.
This is the largest group of consonants in American English: it consists of nine different sounds!
So, why are they called the fricative consonants?
All these sounds are made by partially blocking the air moving through your mouth, which creates audible friction.
Speaking about the /ʒ/ consonant, - this sound is made by partially blocking the air flowing between the blade of your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
The /ʒ/ sound is incredibly rare. It's present in less than 1% of English words.
You know, it's okay if you think that this sound isn't worth the trouble learning it.
But you'll have to avoid using words like
"usual,"
"casual,"
"decision,"
and "television."
It's your decision, of course, but we kind of like these words.
So, let's find out how to make the /ʒ/ sound.
Slightly open your mouth and round your lips. You may push them out a little.
Now, focus on your tongue.
Arch your tongue and raise it to the roof of your mouth, but don't touch it. Make sure there's a small gap between them.
Next, release a stream of air over your tongue.
When the air flows between the blade of your tongue and the roof of your mouth, it'll create lots of noise. Something like this: /ʒ/.
The /ʒ/ is a voiced sound, so don't forget to add your voice.
Remember, the fricatives are continuous sounds and this is also true for the /ʒ/ sound.
So, let's try and stretch it out. Ready? /ʒ-ʒ-ʒ-ʒ-ʒ/
Awesome. Want to try it one more time? /ʒ-ʒ-ʒ-ʒ-ʒ/
Here are a few typical mistakes that people make when pronouncing this sound.
Number 1. The most common mistake is that many non-native speakers devoice the /ʒ/ sound. Usually, people don't realize that they pronounce the voiceless /ʃ/ sound instead. Remember, this may work for other languages, but the American /ʒ/ should never be devoiced in words.
By the way, don't forget to lengthen the vowel before the /ʒ/ sound! Remember our Vowel Length rule? The /ʒ/ is a voiced consonant, so the vowel sound before the /ʒ/ is typically longer than before its voiceless counterpart, the consonant sound /ʃ/.
Number two.
Another problem is that some people involuntarily stop the air before making the /ʒ/ sound. As a result, they end up pronouncing a different sound, the /dʒ/ consonant. While this is a nice sound, you shouldn't pronounce it instead of the /ʒ/.
Why? Because this can lead to misunderstandings!
[Pronunciation exercise]
• beige
• camouflage
• closure
• conclusion
• division
• garage
• leisure
• massage
• measure
• occasion
• pleasure
• precision
• prestige
• sabotage
• television
• treasure
• usual
• version
• vision
You're done! Congratulations!
🎉Great news!🎉 Our brand new Sounds American website is up and running!🚀🎊 There's lots of content on pronunciation.🤓You can start with the article about the /ʒ/ sound: soundsamerican.net/article/consonant_sound_zh_as_in_vision
Best pronunciation tutorial on RUclips.
Thank you!
Your videos should have millions of views and likes. They are EXCELLENT!
We totally agree with you 😂
@@SoundsAmerican There is not app related to this channel, right? This is the best channel to learn phonetics I found. It is better to compare one's audio wave with the correct audio wave offered by app.
Thanks for your vision and enunciation in producing these amazing sounds!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for creating these videos. I have been watching it every week! It is so helpful! Thank you again and again.
Glad you like them!
The best education ever! Thank you!
Awesome. I'm addicted to watch your video. it's been 2 years since you didn't release a new video. I've almost watch all your video.
Thanks a lot for this great lesson.
aww man ive been waiting for this also. i knew they were gonna upload this one after they did its voiceless counterpart. it really helps a lot. thank u guys
+Vladimir Bautista 😄 You're welcome! Stay tuned, we're going to upload new videos soon :).
ɡəræʒ
Thank you. It has been very easy and good video for learning this difficult sound.😊
Thanks for the new videos, they help me a lot. You're so great!
+alba bustamante Glad to hear our videos are helpful! 👋
Your channel is amazing and so very helpful and beneficial. Thank you for uploading it on this platform.
Glad it was helpful!
Ahhh, another one here, thank you, your teaching is the best... I am always waiting for the bell to ring..!
+Lagu Stephen You're welcome, we're glad you like our videos! 😊👋
I have been impressed by all this work that you have done.
excellent video, great work.
Um dos melhores cursos de pronúncia. 👏👏👏👏
+Olga S.F Thank you, glad you like our videos!😊👋
thanks a lot never get tired
Thank you!
Thanks too much, you've made my English pronunciation skills got better!
+Andris Duan Glad to hear that! 👍👋
Hey there!
Excellent explanation, so many subtle details. I learned a ton. 🇧🇷(Brazil)
Glad it was helpful!
thanks for your excellent lessons!!
+Norma Quesada You're welcome! Glad you liked it!
Your videos makes me happy. Thank you!
+Jesus Hagelsieb Glad to hear that! You're welcome!🖖
Great again. Thank you!!👌👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
+Antonio S You're welcome! 😊👋
Really I like it so it’s helpful thanks 🙏 so much!!!
yshh yhshhhh
Thanks teacher
GOOD ! THANK YOU !
Simply exelent. Thank and go ahead.
Thank you so much 😀
This video so useful and meaningful for us
In my native language we don't have separate sounds for z, ʒ and dʒ. It makes me so difficult to differentiate these three sounds. In fact when I try to say something with these sounds the native speakers don't understand me sometimes which is frustrating. Thank you for your clear explanation.
This video really comes in handy for my speaking test. Thanks so muchhhhh
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you.
Great videos! These are the kind of sounds that nobody talks about and can really make a difference. Thank you!
Also, do you guys have an app? Or can recommend one? I'd love one where I can get feedback on my pronunciation.
We do have an app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We will do it soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!
Thanks God! I finally find out an awesome pronunciation channel.
+ Mistério We're glad you found our channel! 😊Don't forget to check the stuff we post on the community page here. You may find it interesting.
Thank you so much!
You're welcome!
Thank you so much.
I knew it! I knew vision sounded different than age. In the juh sound. The knew age had the djuh sound. Thanks for clarifying. I used you as a source of citation.
so useful!! thanks
+Norma Quesada Glad it was useful, you're welcome!
Thanks
you guys i didn't know how else to reach you so i'm posting here...
These videos are amazing, i've started practicing with them recently and i can really notice an improvement...Thanks a lot...i hope you keep them coming.
Also the word list videos are kinda cool...it's like having your own pronunciation dictionary...do you see yourselves making any more of those in the future?
+ljshamash Glad you like our videos and find them helpful. Yes, of course, we'll keep making these videos, stay tuned!
very useful
I love this channel! I always come back here
Happy to hear that!
Thanks a lot. The video is helpful
Glad to hear that!😊👋
Amazing! 👍
Thanks! 😄
Thanks for your videos! It's so great! What's the app you use for the video? Can we use the app to practice?
Glad you liked our videos! We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!
i bet you translate the title and the discribition of your videos into many languages,don't you?you are so hardworking!
+Daisy Chan Yes, we do. The titles and the video descriptions are translated into several languages. We're continuously adding new translations to the latest videos.
You can say that again! 🎉🎉🎉 good stuff definetely. 😊
Sooo... I'm a native speaker and I've been pronouncing the word "regime" with dʒ my entire life. Oh and I've also been pronouncing the word beige with dʒ as well like in the word age. Christ almighty this really opened my eyes. Thank you.
Well, it doesn't mean that you've been pronouncing these words wrong :), maybe it's just another variant. 😊
BTW, on dictionary.com they say that "sometimes" the word "regime" is pronounced as /rəˈdʒim/. 🖖
Good video. It's an unu/ʒ/ual consonant, but I like to know when I have to pronounce it :D Thank you! Love when I get the notification "Sounds American uploaded..."!
+Marquito L You're welcome, glad to see your comment! 😉🖖
Greatest channel ever 😊 I love it
great stuff
All your video are excellent
Love u (from vietnam 🇻🇳)
Thank you very much!
i?ve been waiting for this...thanks
+ljshamash You're welcome!
thank you so much
Welcome 😊
You are awesome
Really, you have helped me in distinguishing between words that I hear but I have some difficult in determine some words in fast speach like the, a, an , out ,in and pronouns .so,
May I ask you , can you produce lessons in reduction and linking phrases ?
I hope you are understanding and have time to do it.
+Eslam Eldeb Thank you for your suggestion, we'll add it to our plan. Stay tuned!👋
Looks like I have no problems with this sound but I still feel I ought to leave a comment to support the channal:) Many thanks for your job!
+Денис Василевский That's the attitude! 👍😄
@@SoundsAmerican your job really worth it))
This sound sounds exactly like the letter ж in russian, right?
Thanks for for your work. Do you mind making a video on pronunciation of HEARD, HARD, HAD, HEAD?
Sure. Here's what we already have, check these videos out:
► HEARD is pronounced with the /ɝ/ sound: ruclips.net/video/6ppOrwjvslc/видео.html
► HARD -with the /ɑr/ sound: ruclips.net/video/x6E2L2vLH78/видео.html
► HAD - sound /æ/: ruclips.net/video/mynucZiy-Ug/видео.html
► HEAD - sound /ɛ/: ruclips.net/video/OLG3cCLcNiI/видео.html
►/æ/ vs /ɛ/: ruclips.net/video/GnWPcvI20Uk/видео.html
Great video. this best channel.
+Dostoyevski Glad you liked it :)
God bless you.
Great 👏
+Alhussein Ali Glad you liked it!
I like this video!👌
+sunder verma Glad to hear that! 😊👋
This channel is still the best IPA learning channel in the world.
Thank you! We've also got the best IPA learning website with tons of info on pronunciation. :) Check it out: soundsamerican.net/
@@SoundsAmerican THANKS for telling me this website.
I just found out.
Has it just been made?
We launched it this summer. 👋
Awesome. It's the best video!
Glad you think so!
I love your video 💜. And good job 💐
Thank you so much!!
hahahha I found it funny when you said " it´s your decision of course, but we kind of like these words" hahahah. Thank you. Like the clarity of your videos. Greetings from Colombia
☺😋👋
me neither
真的好棒！！！👍对于正在学linguistics的我，真的太🈶️帮助了：））
👍🖖👋
Please advise how to link the phonetics to make the sounds of a word theoretically.
Thank you!! Again
NP!😊
@@SoundsAmerican I'm really sorry my from kazakhstan and i'm learning english sorry what this mean NP?
NP means No problem. In this context, we just meant "you're welcome!" 👋
By the way, we share lots of interesting and fun stuff on our community page here on RUclips, check it out: ruclips.net/channel/UC-MSYk9R94F3TMuKAnQ7dDgcommunity
@@SoundsAmerican Thank you teacher
Actually great channel and videos🔥 this channel needs to be well-known as it is really good.🔥🌚
It is like a treasure to me 🌚🔥
Glad you think so!
I can do the rest of the sounds but this one has always been my Achilles heels.
ʒ is the most difficult for me. Thanks for your help.
No problem!
very very useful！
Glad to hear that!
Is this a mobile application ? ..I like it a lot the way you explain.. Excellent!!
Yes, we're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!
If it wasn't for you, i couldn't improve my pronunciation, i'm damn grateful. God bless you.
Glad to hear that! 👋
thank u so much
You're welcome!
Thank you very much but do you have a phone program for ios & Android
+ Alaa Shehata Yes, we do. This is our own app which we haven't released publicly yet. We're working to make it happen soon and will announce the release here on this channel. Stay tuned!
Dear Admin,
Another excellent lesson _ may I know which dictionary that you are using as the reference in this lesson _ one more thing how do I know if the ending words with (tion) are pronouncing with /sh/ or with /ʒ/ sound...
thanks a lot in advance...
+Elwin Harahap Hello there! We transcribe all our recorded words ourselves to provide the most accurate transcription. If you're looking for a dictionary, we can recommend the Cambridge Online Dictionary (use American tab when looking up the transcriptions) dictionary.cambridge.org/, it's the closest one to General American pronunciation and the IPA that we're using.
The letter 't' in the '-tion' suffixes is typically pronounced as the /ʃ/ consonant: "celebration," "recognition."
If there's a letter 's' before the '-tion' suffix, then the 't' is pronounced as the /tʃ/ sound: "question," "suggestion."
We're aware of only one word with the '-tion' suffix in which the 't' is pronounced as the /ʒ/ sound: "equation." If you know other words, do tell :).
Hope it helps!
@@SoundsAmerican Respected teacher, what a wonderful feedback that I got, I really appreciate so much for your clear reply...
Once again thank you so much...
+Elwin Harahap Np! 👋
You are a fantastic 👌
I am the same person Manjunatha PM who was watching in my different account. To follow your videos I created a seperate account where I watch your videos and two more English channels. You three are god father's to me to learn English. Onething I want to super highlight nobody teach like you the IPA sounds, you are the best and amazing teacher in the world. Way of presentation is wonderful.
My pet likes this video and says that you are awesome!
+Angel Herrero 👍 We're glad! Here's another great channel for your pet: ruclips.net/video/hZtC9oQoHfY/видео.html 😊
Thanks for this vid guys, it's poppin', as usual, I've got a question though, will you make a vid on the -ed endings in English? I kinda know the rule that if the letter before an -ed ending is a voiceless consonant, that you have to pronounce as the /t/ sound, like in the word "advanced", on the other hand, if the letter before the -ed ending is a voiced consonant, it has to be pronounced as the /sound/, like in the word "showed", the letter E in both cases that I've mentioned earlier stays silent, but the question is, should I hold the last T/D sound, or do I have to release it? Because if I hold it, it sounds almost silent, but on the other hand, if I release it, it sounds a bit odd, doesn't sound like a smooth American accent, e.g. in the word "blessed", if I hold the T, it sounds almost as if I pronounced the regular form of the verb "bless", but if I release the T, it sounds a bit strange and not really American, so should I release the final T/D sounds in the -ed endings or not? The whole thing is a bit bewildering and confusing tbh
+Cosmic Disco You're welcome, glad you liked this video.
You've asked a good question. Yes, you are right, the '-ed' endings are pronounced as the /t/ or /d/ sounds depending on the previous sounds.
When '-ed' endings are pronounced like the /t/ or /d/ sounds, they, obviously, occur at the end of words and therefore, follow the Final Stop rule. (The /t/ and /d/ are the stop sounds). According to this rule, the stop sounds at the end of words are unaspirated (pronounced without a puff of air). When a stop sound is unaspirated, many non-native speakers don't recognize it and believe that it's not pronounced. However, that's not correct, the final stops are pronounced, only the puff of air is absent.
We talk about the Final Stop rule in detail in this video: ruclips.net/video/yFPbLcUCraQ/видео.html
Hope it helps and please let us know if you have more questions on this topic or any other questions!
P.S. Yes, we plan to make a video on the '-ed' endings pronunciation. Stay tuned :).
@@SoundsAmerican Thanks for answering so quickly! Does the line "without the puff of air" mean that I have to always hold my tongue? I usually just hold my tongue, like, don't release the final sound, is it a proper technique? Because that's the only way I can make the sound unaspirated.
+Cosmic Disco
To pronounce the /t/ stop sound without a puff of air means to put the tip of your tongue to the alveolar ridge (same as you usually do it) to stop the air, then move the tip of your tongue away from the alveolar ridge to release the air. When you release the air, don't make a strong puff of air. We talk about it in detail in our videos about the /t/ or /d/ sounds, check them out:
ruclips.net/video/mLlotV_0dRI/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/N73xPe0x79g/видео.html
Hope it helps!
@@SoundsAmerican Good looking out guys, will it be okay if I just keep the tongue pressed against the gum ridge? That's pretty much the only way I can make sure that I don't make a puff of air.
@@randomdude7384 Yes, that's they way you're supposed to do it :).
Thanks a lot!01.06.23
This is another sound that exists in my native language too. In Portuguese spelling (Brazilian portuguese spelling), this sound is represented by the letter J and sometimes by the letter G when it's followed by the letters / vowel sounds e /ɛ/ and i /i:/
Example words: jarra /'ʒa.ha/ (jar) ; jogo /'ʒo.gu/, gelo /'ʒe.lu/ (ice), girafa /ʒi.'t̬a.fa / (giraffe).
I noticed something really intresting: while in my native language spelling the sound /ʒ/ most often is represented by the letter J, In English spelling the letter J represents the sound /dʒ/ as in Joke, jelly, jump, Jack, or Jake.
J /ʒ/ = > Portuguese = > jarra /'ʒa.ha/
J /dʒ/ = > English => joke /dʒoʊK/
Intresting, isn't it?
Same in romanian
Hi can i ask u aqueastion pls do u know any words that start with /ˈʒ /pls ?
Helped alot in exam
👍👍
On the fricative consonantes slide, is the the top row the unvoiced version of the bottom row?
Correct. :)
Best pronouncing teaching video I ever watched. Anyone knows the APP‘s name used in video or they r just animation videos？
+Mason Si In our videos we use our own app. It's not released publicly yet, but we're working to make it happen soon. We'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!
That is great to know. I definitely would purchase your APP once it release. Thank you for your respond and your great work :D
+Mason Si 😊👍🖖
What can I say? Great, as always!
+Milana Jasieva Thank you! 😊👋
What software are you using?
We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!
A difficult sound for everybody. However, the more we practice, the better.
Exactly! Practice, practice a lot, and then practice some more. :)
Exactly
For me
It's incredibly easy maybe because I'm a native Arabic speaker.. Also we have some difficulties with some sounds
希望能出弱读连读技巧 thanks
you think he understands Chinese?
I was thinking about the Russian letter "ж" which has the same sign in transcription. But I guess I touch my alveolar ridge pronouncing this sound. In general, I don't know. Both sound so similar. Like I understood both have slight differences
Yes, you're right! These two sounds seem very similar, but there are differences in how they are produced. To make the English /ʒ/ sound, you need to arch your tongue, whereas for the Russian one - not so much. And yes, you need to watch out for the tongue tip - it shouldn't touch your alveolar ridge.
hello very good
Glad you liked it!
Oh my god, massage, I read it wrong for many years! Thank you very much!
same
Thanks for your video!! I am wondering if there exists a word App with Phonetic Alphabet so that I can practice with it. Just like the way in the video, for example，when I want to practice the pronunciation of "/ ʒ /", then it will list several words including the sound "/ ʒ /". Please let me know if anyone know this kind of App.
We're using our own app, but we haven't released it to the public yet. We're planning to do it very soon and we'll announce the release on this channel. Stay tuned!
@@SoundsAmerican Wow! That sounds awesome! I am looking forward to it.
@@SoundsAmerican for sure, it's gonna be helpful for us
currently i am in my phonetic class and i dind´t undertand anything until i discoverd this chanel. (i am not a native English speaker)
Glad this was helpful!
More videos please!!!
Sure, stay tuned! Have you already watched all of our videos?
@@SoundsAmerican no yet...please more vowel sounds....thanks a million
We've covered all vowel sounds that exist in American English :) ruclips.net/p/PLYJV5Moz9cfywp0M0q4o0ukyWcYAgEQ5_
When is your app coming out?
+Jaime Perez Soon, stay tuned!
Do you have a video on j as in age and ch as in church? Aren't these fricatives too? Excellent site.
+Glenn Christie Not yet. The /tʃ/ as in "church" the /dʒ/ as in "age" are affricates. These will be our next videos, stay tuned!
Thank you so much! My class loves your site!
+Glenn Christie You're welcome! Say hi to them from us 😊👋
Does it sound like a voiced SH, CH or G? Or something in between?
For me, it sounds like a voiced SH in the word vision, CH in concierge, and a G in regime. Please help me.
You're right, the /ʒ/ is the voiced counterpart of the voiceless /ʃ/ sound. The words "vision," "regime" and "concierge" are both pronounced with the /ʒ/ sound: /ˈvɪʒ·ən,/ /rəˈʒim/, /ˌkɑn·siˈɛrʒ/. Note though, there's no /tʃ/ in "concierge." :).
/
I liked it, but I'd like, you make video about Dark L.
You're not alone mate. I've been waiting for that legendary video for centuries. I guess the Dark L is the most difficult sound to pronounce for non-native speakers including me.
+Josdan We plan to make that video too, stay tuned!
xin tên app đọc tiếng anh ạ
👏👏👏