Pronouncing Z-
In this section, we will be looking at : S-, Z-, SH-, and ZH- sounds. All four of these sounds sound very similar and are produced at two different places in the mouth.
In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the S- sound is represented by the phonetic symbol /s/, the Z- sound is represented by the phonetic symbol /z/, the SH- sound is represented by the phonetic symbol /ʃ/, and the Z- is represented by the phonetic symbol /ʒ/. The Z- /z/ and ZH- /ʒ/ sounds is sometimes written with the letter S. There are some examples below that will show you what I mean.
You will find the S- (/s/) sound in words such as:
sorry /ˈsɔri/
answer /ˈænsər/
abyss /əˈbɪs/
You will find the Z- (/z/) sound in words such as:
zebra /ˈzibrə/
easy /ˈizi/ *this is an example of a word with the letter S that uses the phonetic symbol /z/
buzz /bʌz/
You will find the SH- (/ʃ/) sound in words such as:
shout /ʃaʊt/
usher /ˈʌʃər/
cash /kæʃ/
measure /ˈmeʒər/
vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/
corsage /kɔrˈsɑʒ/ * sometimes the letter G- can be represented by the /ʒ/ sound as well
These (/s/) and (/z/) sounds are velar sounds. So these sounds will be produced produced on the back of the tongue. To produce both these sounds, 
you will press the back of your tongue up against the back of your mouth (soft palate) and release. The difference between these sounds are that (/s/) is a voiceless consonant and (/z/) is a voiced consonant. So you will feel your throat vibrate when you make the (/z/) sound and won’t feel as much vibration in your throat when you produce the (/s/) sound.
The /ʃ/ sound is a voiceless sound, while /ʒ/ is its voiced counterpart. These two sounds are post-alveolar sounds. So to produce these sounds, you will have to retract your tongue from the alveolar ridge (the area between the upper teeth and the gums). By doing this, you will block or constrict the airflow which will give you these distinct sounds.
In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the S- sound is represented by the phonetic symbol /s/, the Z- sound is represented by the phonetic symbol /z/, the SH- sound is represented by the phonetic symbol /ʃ/, and the Z- is represented by the phonetic symbol /ʒ/. The Z- /z/ and ZH- /ʒ/ sounds is sometimes written with the letter S. There are some examples below that will show you what I mean.
You will find the S- (/s/) sound in words such as:
answer /ˈænsər/
abyss /əˈbɪs/
easy /ˈizi/ *this is an example of a word with the letter S that uses the phonetic symbol /z/
buzz /bʌz/
shout /ʃaʊt/
usher /ˈʌʃər/
cash /kæʃ/
vision /ˈvɪʒ(ə)n/
corsage /kɔrˈsɑʒ/ * sometimes the letter G- can be represented by the /ʒ/ sound as well
you will press the back of your tongue up against the back of your mouth (soft palate) and release. The difference between these sounds are that (/s/) is a voiceless consonant and (/z/) is a voiced consonant. So you will feel your throat vibrate when you make the (/z/) sound and won’t feel as much vibration in your throat when you produce the (/s/) sound.The /ʃ/ sound is a voiceless sound, while /ʒ/ is its voiced counterpart. These two sounds are post-alveolar sounds. So to produce these sounds, you will have to retract your tongue from the alveolar ridge (the area between the upper teeth and the gums). By doing this, you will block or constrict the airflow which will give you these distinct sounds.
