z vs s

Voiced Alveolar Sibilant Fricative vs Voiceless Alveolar Sibilant Fricative

How these sounds differ

Voiced Alveolar Sibilant Fricative

Voicing: voiced
Place: alveolar
Manner: sibilant fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 133 / 500

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Voiceless Alveolar Sibilant Fricative

Voicing: voiceless
Place: alveolar
Manner: sibilant fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 345 / 500

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Cross-linguistic distribution

133

Languages with z

132

Languages with both

345

Languages with s

132 languages in our database contrast both sounds as distinct phonemes. Languages that have one but not the other tend to merge them into a single phoneme — meaning speakers of those languages often struggle to hear the distinction when learning a language that contrasts them.

Has z, not s (1)

Kalmyk Mongolic-Khitan

Has s, not z (20)

Selepet Nuclear Trans New Guinea Telefol Nuclear Trans New Guinea Asmat Nuclear Trans New Guinea Washkuk Sepik Adzera Austronesian Kaliai Austronesian Iai Austronesian Chamorro Austronesian Sa'ban Austronesian Atayal Austronesian Toba-Batak Austronesian Yay Tai-Kadai Dafla Sino-Tibetan Yao Hmong-Mien Hakka Chinese Sino-Tibetan Kharia Austroasiatic Bhumij Austroasiatic Kota Dravidian Ket Yeniseian Chasta Costa Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit