Pronunciation: /ʒ/

The /ʒ/ sound in English is a voiced post-alveolar sibilant, which means it’s a sound made by creating friction between the tongue and the area just behind the alveolar ridge (the bumpy ridge behind your upper front teeth) with vocal cord vibration. Here’s how you pronounce it:

• Position your tongue: For the /ʒ/ sound, your tongue should be close to the post-alveolar area, just behind the alveolar ridge.
• Voicing: The /ʒ/ sound is a voiced consonant, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you produce this sound. You should feel a vibration if you lightly touch the front of your throat while saying the sound.
• Release the sound: As your tongue is positioned close to the post-alveolar area, direct a stream of air over the tongue and out of your mouth. The air should flow continuously, creating a buzzing sound (similar to the /z/ sound, but with the tongue positioned further back in the mouth).