There is a less-common sound in American English that isn’t spelled consistently, rarely gets attention in pronunciation textbooks, and is often replaced with something more familiar.
The sound is /ʒ/, the voiced partner of /ʃ/ (“sh”). You’ll hear it in words like measure, vision, pleasure, garage, usual, and Asia.
What Is /ʒ/?
This sound appears at the end of the word beige or in the middle of measure, and sounds a little like a bee buzzing. Unlike /ʃ/, where only air creates the sound, /ʒ/ combines airflow with vibration from your vocal cords. That vibration gives the consonant a warm, buzzing quality.
If you know how to pronounce “sh,” you’re already halfway there. The mouth position stays almost the same, and the only major difference is that your use vocal cord vibration to make the sound.
How to Make the Sound
Begin by making a long “shhhhh…” sound. Now, without changing the position of your tongue or lips, begin vibrating your vocal cords.
The sound should become: “zzzhhhhh…” You should then feel a gentle vibration in your throat while the airflow continues over your tongue.
Your mouth position
To produce a natural American /ʒ/:
- Raise the front of your tongue close to the roof of your mouth without touching it.
- Keep your lips slightly rounded.
- Allow a narrow stream of air to pass through the gap.
- Turn on your vocal cords so the sound vibrates continuously.
If you’ve done it correctly, it should resemble the gentle buzz of a bee. You can even check your pronunciation with your fingers:
- Place two fingers lightly on the front of your throat.
- Make sure you feel your throat buzzing as you make the /ʒ/
Common Mistakes
Because relatively few languages use /ʒ/ in exactly the same way as English, non-native speakers may replace it with a more familiar consonant, such as:
- /z/ (“measure” sounding more like mezure)
- /dʒ/ (“measure” sounding closer to medger)
- /ʃ/ (“measure” becoming mesher)
Practice Like a Bee
Before jumping into words, first isolate the sound and hold it for a few seconds:
/ʒːːːː/
Try to keep both the airflow and the vocal vibration steady. Once that feels comfortable, move into individual words:
- measure
- vision
- pleasure
- garage
- Asia
- usual
- television
Don’t rush the sound – prioritize accuracy over speed at this point.
Put It Into Sentences
Practice this sound in natural sentences:
- I measured the table yesterday.
- She has excellent vision.
- It’s my pleasure to help.
- The garage door is open.
- We’re planning a trip to Asia.
Make sure you produce a consistent buzz throughout the consonant.
Train Your Muscle Memory
The /ʒ/ sound may feel unfamiliar at first simply because your mouth has never practiced it before. But if you consistently teach your speech muscles to perform new movements, what once felt like an awkward new sound will, over time, become an automatic part of your American English pronunciation.
