Exercise 1: Contrasting the sounds
- Listen to the word pairs, focusing on the two different sounds.
- Then repeat, again focusing on saying the different sounds for /z/ and /ð/
| /z/ | /ð/ | |
| bays | bathe | |
| tease | teethe | |
| breeze | breathe | |
| close | clothe | |
| Zen | then | |
| closing | clothing |
Exercise 2: Listening and distinguishing the sounds
This will help you learn to distinguish the two sounds.
- Listen to the recording.
- Choose the word you hear.
- You can listen as many times as you want.
- Click the blue > arrow on the bottom right to move to the next question.
Tongue twister
- Repeat the following tongue twister.
- Focus on the two different sounds /z/ as in breeze and /ð/ as in breathe.
- Repeat again, trying to say the tongue twister faster and faster.
This zebra ate that zookeeper’s zesty zucchini.
Tongue twister
- Repeat the following tongue twister.
- Focus on the two different sounds /z/ as in breeze and /ð/ as in breathe.
- Repeat again, trying to say the tongue twister faster and faster.
Zora’s zebra bathes the baby zebra. The other mother lathers the zigzagging zebrafish.
© Paul Smit 2006-2021