S versus Z

[Tally M.]

I need some homework help--and let me explain. I know the Board isn't to be used for homework, but I've got a slight problem. I'm supposed to transcribe the plural suffixes of certain words--basically whether they're supposed to pronounced [s] or [z]. Now, normally I wouldn't have an issue, but I've been going to speech therapy for fixing a lateralized [s] and I haven't quite perfected the difference between saying [s] and [z] at the ends of words... I figured out most of the words I have to transcribe, but I'm stuck on six of them.

If that made any sense at all, what's your take on the following words? Should the plural suffix be [s] or [z]?

chicken
tree
key
pill
chore

[C is for]

I think they're all z. Except possibly pills and chickens (though I use z for them too).

Or maybe I don't understand the difference.

[Squirrel]

I say them all with a z at the end except for chickens. But my roommates say they're all z.

[Emiliana]

I would say /z/ for all of them, too.

[Tally M.]

Thanks a bunch you guys

[Katya]

They're all /z/. And I want to hear Squirrel say "chickens" before I'll believe she pronounces it with a phonetic /s/.

[Squirrel]

You're right. I sound British if I say it with an /s/.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

British, or Mexican?

[Katya]

British, or Mexican?

I always get those mixed up!

[Marduk]

British and Mexican don't go together. Canadian and Mexican go together.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

What I meant was Mexicans use an S sound at the end of words where it should be a z.

[Katya]

What I meant was Mexicans use an S sound at the end of words where it should be a z.

No, I totally understood you. I was just amused at the idea that Squirrel must have mixed up British and Mexican because they're so easy to confuse.

[Katya]

British and Mexican don't go together. Canadian and Mexican go together.

Like salsa and poutine! (Actually, that might be good . . .)

[Yarjka]

British and Mexican don't go together. Canadian and Mexican go together.

Like salsa and poutine! (Actually, that might be good . . .)

You mean the dance or the condiment?

[Giovanni Schwartz]

What I meant was Mexicans use an S sound at the end of words where it should be a z.

No, I totally understood you. I was just amused at the idea that Squirrel must have mixed up British and Mexican because they're so easy to confuse.

Nah. I was talking to Marduk. For I know he was being self-referential, but I wanted to make sure he got the joke.

[Marduk]

Yeah, I got it. Don't worry.

[Katya]

British and Mexican don't go together. Canadian and Mexican go together.

Like salsa and poutine! (Actually, that might be good . . .)

You mean the dance or the condiment?

The condiment. I'm not convinced you can eat poutine while salsa-ing.

[Katya]

Yeah, I got it. Don't worry.

OK, so everyone understood everything. Whew!

[Squirrel]

Yeah, I got it. Don't worry.

OK, so everyone understood everything. Whew!

I got lost as soon as the British and Mexican accent thing came up, and I'm still lost. But it's okay- we can move on to a different topic- I just wanted to say something because it's weird to not be talking constantly.

[NerdGirl]

I tried saying them all with /s/ and I sounded like Nacho Libre. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room.