Zack zips past Sue's zoo, zigzagging like zebras.
This twister trains two sounds that are almost twins: Z and S. They are made in the same place in your mouth. The only difference is whether your voice switches on.
👅 Sounds to Practise
- Z /z/, as in zoo, zebra, zigzag and the end of Sue's. The tip of your tongue sits just behind your top teeth, and your voice buzzes. Put a hand on your throat: you should feel a hum.
- S /s/, as in the end of zips, past and the start of Sue's. The tongue is in the same spot, but there is no buzz. Your throat stays quiet and the air just hisses.
Quick test: say sss and then zzz. Keep the same tongue position and switch the buzz on and off. That buzz is the whole difference.
🐢 Start Slow
Say each chunk slowly. Feel the buzz on the Z words and the hiss on the S words.
Zack zips
past Sue's
zoo,
zigzagging
like zebras.
Now say the two halves: Zack zips past Sue's zoo … zigzagging like zebras.
🚶 Normal Speed
Say the whole sentence at a natural speed, as if you were describing a day at the zoo. Stress the important words:
ZACK zips past SUE'S ZOO, ZIG-zag-ging like ZEB-ras.
Notice the mix: the S sounds are quiet and the Z sounds buzz.
🚀 Tongue-Twister Mode
Ready? Say it three times in a row, as fast as you can:
Zack zips past Sue's zoo, zigzagging like zebras.
If the buzz and the hiss start to blend, slow down for one round and then try again.
🤯 Why Is This So Difficult?
The trouble is that your mouth is nearly the same for both sounds, so your brain has to rely only on your voice.
- In zips past Sue's zoo, the voice switches on and off again and again, even inside one word: Sue's starts with a quiet S and ends with a buzzing Z.
- The sounds appear next to each other, so there is no pause to reset.
- When you are rushing, the voice often goes missing, and zoo becomes Sue. Or the voice sneaks in too early, and sip becomes zip.
Good news: once your ear can hear the difference, your mouth will follow.
👀 Words to Notice
These pairs differ only in the Z or S sound:
- zip / sip
- zoo / Sue
- zap / sap
- buzz / bus
- lose / loose
- close (to shut) / close (near)
Try each pair slowly, then quickly: zip, sip, zip, sip.
🏆 OddLingo Challenge
- Round 1: say it slowly, one chunk at a time, with a buzz on every Z.
- Round 2: say the whole sentence once at normal speed.
- Round 3: say it three times fast without stopping.
Bonus round: swap one word for a Z or S partner from the list above. For example: Zack zaps past Sue's sap.
🔗 Related Practice
- Six Shy Sheep: another S-sound twister, this time with SH.
- Six Wishes, Ten Dishes: the plural -S endings, which use the S and Z sounds.
- Fuzzy Wuzzy: another twister that switches to Z.