Sounds of S, SS, SE, and ES at the End of Words

Jul 29, 2023

4 min read

The letters s, ss, se, and es can make different sounds at the end of words. The sound the letters make depends on the sounds that come before them.

The letter s can make the /s/ sound or the /z/ sound at the end of words.

The letter s makes the /s/ sound after voiceless sounds. To check if a sound is unvoiced, touch your throat as you say the sound. If your throat vibrates, it is a voiced sound. If it doesn’t vibrate, it is a voiceless sound. The consonants t, k, f, p, and the unvoiced th are all voiceless sounds.

Introducing S, SS, SE, and ES at the End of Words

Look at the pictures below. Notice the sound the letter s is making at the end of each word and the sound that comes before it.

The letter s can make the /z/ sound after voiced sounds. When making a voiced sound, your throat will vibrate. The consonants m, n, l, b, d, g, v, r, and a voiced th are all voiced sounds. All vowel sounds are also voiced.

Look at the pictures below. Notice the sound the letter s is making at the end of each word and the sound that comes before it.

Words in English don’t end in v, so we need a silent e after the letter v. When we add the letter s to these words, the letter s makes the /z/ sound.

The letters ss always make the /s/ sound at the end of words.

Look at the pictures below. Notice the sound the letters ss are making at the end of each word.

The letters se can make the /z/ sound after a vowel team.

Look at the pictures below. Notice the sound the letters se are making at the end of each word.

The letters se can make the /s/ sound after a consonant or vowel team. This is a less common sound pattern than the letters se making the /z/ sound.

Look at the pictures below. Notice the sound the letters se are making at the end of each word.

The letters es can make the /iz/ sound at the end of a word. This only happens when the word before the letters es ends in the s, z, ch, sh, or j sound. Remember, the letter c can make the /s/ sound when it comes before the letter e. For example, the word faces follows this pattern.

Look at the pictures below. Notice the sound the letters es are making at the end of each word.

Practice S, SS, SE, and ES at the End of Words

The best way we can remember the sounds letters make is to practice. Our Learning to Read workbook has cards you can use to practice with the different sounds of s, ss, es, and se at the end of words. You can also make your own notecards to practice letters and sounds. Just a few minutes of practice a day will make a huge difference!

Reading Words

Congratulations! You can now read more words! You can practice reading the words on the chart.

Writing Practice

You can also practice writing words with the /s/ or /z/ sound at the end of words. Make sure you follow explicit handwriting instructions to ensure you are writing efficiently. Writing efficiently is a huge part of building writing stamina.

Video Guidance

Check out our video on the sounds s, ss, es, and se can make at the end of words.

You can use this video to prepare for a lesson with your student, or your student can work with the video independently.

LEARNING TO DECODE PROGRAM

Take your learning to the next level with our Learning to Read Workbook!

Learning to read is a systematic process that requires explicit instruction. Our learning to read program breaks down every sound students need to know to learn how to read. Every step of the program includes picture examples, sound practice, reading practice, and writing practice.

The best part of the program is that anyone who is a competent reader can help a student through the program. Use our webpages, videos, and the pages in the workbook to guide your student’s learning. Students work through the program at their own pace. This is a perfect supplement to what students are learning in school.