Introduction
For some people, including native English speakers, the consonant sounds [dʒ] “dg”, [z] and [ʒ] “zh”are not similar at all! But for those who do not have these consonant sounds in their first languages, like Koreans and some others, it can be difficult to distinguish [dʒ] “dg”, [z] and [ʒ] “zh”.
It’s important to practice the difference, though, because mixing up these sounds could confuse the listener and interfere with communication.
How to Pronounce [dʒ] [z] [ʒ]
The key to pronouncing these consonant sounds is to pay attention to the differences between:
the flow of air through the teeth
the length of time you can hold the sound.
Let’s analyze [z] vs. [ʒ] “zh” first.
[z] vs. [ʒ]
What’s similar | [z] & [ʒ]
1) I can hold these sounds for a while.
Both [z] (as in “zebra”) and [ʒ] “zh” (as in the middle of “measure”) are sounds you can hold for a while. Here, I’ll hold them for 4 seconds each. Try it with me.
[z]…[z]…[z]…[z]
[ʒ]…[ʒ]…[ʒ]…[ʒ]
2) They’re both voiced consonants.
Put your fingertips on the front of your neck, and make the [z] and [ʒ] sounds.
[z]
[ʒ]
[z]
[ʒ]