Which of the following minimal pairs may be used to teach the difference between S and Z?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following minimal pairs may be used to teach the difference between S and Z?

Explanation:
Voicing is the key difference to teach between S and Z. S is a voiceless fricative, produced without vibrating the vocal cords, while Z is voiced, with vibration. A pair like Lacy and Lazy is ideal because the two words share the same starting sounds and vowel, and only the final consonant changes from /s/ to /z/. Hearing that switch from s to z helps learners notice the voicing difference between the two sounds. Other options don’t isolate this contrast: Sea and See use the same sound, so they don’t show S versus Z; Pat and Bat contrast p and b, not s and z; Cart and Card change the final consonant from t to d, which isn’t about the S–Z distinction.

Voicing is the key difference to teach between S and Z. S is a voiceless fricative, produced without vibrating the vocal cords, while Z is voiced, with vibration. A pair like Lacy and Lazy is ideal because the two words share the same starting sounds and vowel, and only the final consonant changes from /s/ to /z/. Hearing that switch from s to z helps learners notice the voicing difference between the two sounds. Other options don’t isolate this contrast: Sea and See use the same sound, so they don’t show S versus Z; Pat and Bat contrast p and b, not s and z; Cart and Card change the final consonant from t to d, which isn’t about the S–Z distinction.

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