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Voiced and voiceless sounds are all about what your vocal cords are doing. This quick guide will show you the difference, give you examples, and help you practise with easy tips and quizzes. Let’s get cracking!
Have you ever heard of voiced and voiceless sounds? Didn’t think so! They’re not taught that often, but I think they’re brilliant if you’re serious about perfecting your pronunciation. In English, some sounds are made with vibration from your vocal cords — these are called voiced sounds. Others are made without vibration — those are voiceless sounds. The difference might seem small, but it plays a big role in speaking clearly and correctly.
Voiced sounds in English are produced when the vocal cords vibrate. These sounds are essential for distinguishing words in English, as they help to differentiate between pairs like “bat” and “pat.” Here’s a list of common voiced sounds and some example words:
These sounds are often contrasted with their voiceless counterparts, which are produced without vocal cord vibration.
What is the “zh” sound?
It’s the sound you hear in:
This is a voiced fricative, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you say it, just like with /v/ or /z/.
We call it “zh” because English doesn’t have a consistent spelling for it. It often appears in words borrowed from French, and it sounds like a soft buzzing “sh”. Since there’s no common letter for it, “zh” is used as a nickname in phonics or pronunciation lessons.
In English, all vowel sounds are voiced, meaning that the vocal cords vibrate when producing these sounds. Vowels are essential for the structure of words, and their sounds can vary in length and quality. Here’s a list of the main vowel sounds in English:
Each of these sounds involves vocal cord vibration, making them all voiced vowels.
Voiceless sounds in English are produced when the vocal cords do not vibrate. These sounds are important for distinguishing words, as they help to differentiate between pairs like “pat” and “bat.” Here’s a list of common voiceless sounds and some example words:
These sounds are contrasted with their voiced counterparts, like in the pairs “pat” vs. “bat” or “sit” vs. “zit.”
The -ed ending is used to form the past tense and past participles of regular verbs, but it’s not always pronounced the same way. The pronunciation depends on the final sound of the verb.
Learning this rule helps improve your pronunciation and makes your speech sound more natural. Watch the video below to hear how they sound.
Practise saying the words below with an -ed ending.
The -s ending is used for plurals, possessives, and third person singular verbs, but like -ed, it’s pronounced in different ways depending on the final sound of the word.
Knowing how to use voiced and voiceless -s endings correctly helps your speech flow more smoothly and sounds more natural to native speakers.
The th spelling in English can be tricky because it represents two different sounds: one voiced and one voiceless. The voiceless th is heard in words like think, thank, and bath, where there’s no vibration in your throat. The voiced th is used in words like this, that, and breathe, where the vocal cords do vibrate. Although the spelling is the same, the sound changes the meaning—compare bath (a noun) with bathe (a verb). Recognising the difference between these two th sounds will improve both your pronunciation and your listening skills.
A simple way to distinguish between voiced and voiceless sounds is the hand-on-throat test. Place your fingers lightly on your throat while saying words that contain these sounds. If you feel vibration, the sound is voiced, as the vocal cords are vibrating. If you don’t feel vibration, the sound is voiceless, meaning the vocal cords aren’t vibrating. This test helps you easily identify the difference between pairs like “b” and “p” or “d” and “t.”
Practise saying these words and put your hand on your throat.
| Voiced | Voiceless |
|---|---|
| B – bat | P – pat |
| D – dog | T – tog |
| V – very | F – ferry |
| Z – zoo | S – sue |
Understanding the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds is important because it affects pronunciation, spelling, and sometimes even meaning. For example, the only difference between back and bag is the final sound – back ends in a voiceless k sound, while bag ends in a voiced g. Getting these sounds wrong can lead to misunderstandings, especially with minimal pairs like pat and bat or fan and van. It can also help with spelling, as certain endings are linked to whether the final sound is voiced or voiceless. Learning to recognise and pronounce these sounds correctly will make your English clearer and easier to understand.
Want to improve your English pronunciation even further? Check out these helpful pages to master different aspects of pronunciation:
Word and Sentence Stress – Understanding stress patterns in words and sentences is key to sounding natural.
Silent Letters – Learn how silent letters work in English and how to pronounce tricky words correctly.
Difficult Words to Pronounce – Explore a list of commonly mispronounced words and how to say them like a pro.
Each of these topics will help you take your pronunciation skills to the next level!