Pronunciation practice worksheet for students to identify words with different 's' sounds.

Let’s go through each question one by one. The task is to find the word where the underlined part (the “s” at the end) is pronounced differently from the other two.

Remember: In English, when we add “s” to make a plural or third person verb, it can sound like:
- /s/ (like “ss” in “snake”) — after voiceless sounds (p, t, k, f, th)
- /z/ (like “zz” in “buzz”) — after voiced sounds (vowels, b, d, g, m, n, l, r, etc.)
- /ɪz/ or /əz/ (like “iz”) — after s, z, sh, ch, ge sounds

But here, all words end with “s”, so we’re mostly comparing /s/ vs /z/.

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Q1: A. cars → /z/ | B. books → /s/ | C. lamps → /s/
→ “cars” ends with a vowel sound → /z/
→ “books” ends with /k/ → /s/
→ “lamps” ends with /p/ → /s/
✔ So A. cars is different.

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Q2: A. beds → /z/ | B. cakes → /s/ | C. pens → /z/
→ “beds” ends with /d/ → /z/
→ “cakes” ends with /k/ → /s/
→ “pens” ends with /n/ → /z/
✔ So B. cakes is different.

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Q3: A. rulers → /z/ | B. pencils → /z/ | C. plants → /s/
→ “rulers” ends with /r/ → /z/
→ “pencils” ends with /l/ → /z/
→ “plants” ends with /t/ → /s/
✔ So C. plants is different.

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Q4: A. clocks → /s/ | B. rooms → /z/ | C. tables → /z/
→ “clocks” ends with /k/ → /s/
→ “rooms” ends with /m/ → /z/
→ “tables” ends with /l/ → /z/
✔ So A. clocks is different.

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Q5: A. cupboards → /z/ | B. sinks → /s/ | C. chairs → /z/
→ “cupboards” ends with /d/ → /z/ (even though spelled “ds”, it’s /dz/ → /z/)
→ “sinks” ends with /k/ → /s/
→ “chairs” ends with /r/ → /z/
✔ So B. sinks is different.

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Q6: A. sofas → /z/ | B. toilets → /z/ | C. books → /s/
→ “sofas” ends with vowel → /z/
→ “toilets” ends with /t/ → but wait! “toilet” ends with /t/, so /s/? Actually, no — “toilets” is pronounced /ˈtɔɪləts/ → ends with /s/? Let’s check:
Actually, “toilet” ends with /t/, so “toilets” = /s/. But “sofas” = /z/, “books” = /s/. Wait — let’s recheck:

Wait — “toilets”: the last sound is /t/, so “s” should be /s/.
“sofas” → ends with /ə/ → /z/
“books” → ends with /k/ → /s/
So both “toilets” and “books” are /s/, “sofas” is /z/.
✔ So A. sofas is different.

Wait — correction: “toilets” — the “t” is voiceless → /s/. Yes.
So A = /z/, B = /s/, C = /s/ → A is different.

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Q7: A. doors → /z/ | B. crayons → /z/ | C. sports → /s/
→ “doors” ends with /r/ → /z/
→ “crayons” ends with /n/ → /z/
→ “sports” ends with /t/ → /s/
✔ So C. sports is different.

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Q8: A. rubbers → /z/ | B. desks → /s/ | C. papers → /z/
→ “rubbers” ends with /r/ → /z/
→ “desks” ends with /k/ → /s/
→ “papers” ends with /r/ → /z/
✔ So B. desks is different.

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Q9: A. notebooks → /z/ | B. kitchens → /z/ | C. bowls → /z/
Wait — all end with voiced sounds?
“notebooks” → ends with /k/ → /s/? No — “book” ends with /k/, so “notebooks” = /s/?
Wait — “notebook” ends with /k/, so plural “notebooks” → /s/
“kitchens” → ends with /n/ → /z/
“bowls” → ends with /l/ → /z/
So A = /s/, B = /z/, C = /z/ → A is different.

✔ So A. notebooks is different.

Wait — let me double-check pronunciation:

- notebooks: /ˈnoʊtbʊks/ → ends with /s/
- kitchens: /ˈkɪtʃɪnz/ → ends with /z/
- bowls: /boʊlz/ → ends with /z/

Yes — so A is /s/, others /z/ → A is different.

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Q10: A. cats → /s/ | B. dishwashers → /z/ | C. gardens → /z/
→ “cats” ends with /t/ → /s/
→ “dishwashers” ends with /r/ → /z/
→ “gardens” ends with /n/ → /z/
✔ So A. cats is different.

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Now, compiling all answers:

Q1: A
Q2: B
Q3: C
Q4: A
Q5: B
Q6: A
Q7: C
Q8: B
Q9: A
Q10: A

Final Answer:
Q1: A
Q2: B
Q3: C
Q4: A
Q5: B
Q6: A
Q7: C
Q8: B
Q9: A
Q10: A