PRONUNTIATION THIRD PERSON PRESENT SIMPLE

Although the morphological suffix for third person singular verbs in the simple present tense is -s or -es, the suffix is pronounced differently depending on the sound of the last syllable of the verb.

If the last syllable of the verb is a voiceless sound, then the suffix is pronounced as an unvoiced s [s]. Voiceless sounds are produced by not vibrating the larynx, or voice box, in the throat. The voiceless, or unvoiced, sounds in English are:

• p, pe [p]
• t, tt, te [t]
• k, ck, ke [k]
• f, gh [f]
• th [θ]
• h [h]
• y [j]

For example:

• breaks [breks]
• counts [kaunts]
• drinks [driŋks]
• hopes [hops]
• likes [laiks]
• sits [sIts]

If the last syllable of the verb is a voiced sound, then the suffix is pronounced as a voiced z [z]. Voiced sounds are produced by vibrating the larynx, or voice box, in the throat. The voiced sounds in English are:

• m, me [m]
• n, ne [n]
• ng [ŋ]
• b, be [b]
• d, de [d]
• g, ge [g]
• v, ve [v]
• th [ð]
• w [w]
• r, re [r]
• l, ll, le [l]
• all the vowels

For example:

• calls [kalz]
• destroys [distroiz]
• gives [gIvz]
• moans [monz]
• sobs [sabz]
• tries [traiz]

If the last syllable of the verb is a sibilant sound, then the suffix is pronounced /iz/

For example:

• watches
• kisses

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/39426.aspx#ixzz1ZqaYRJM

Exercise 1