Reference page

Post-alveolar fricatives

English has two fricatives (hissing/buzzing sounds) which are pronounced with the tongue further back in the mouth than [s] and [z].

Voiceless ʃ

The first, [ʃ], is voiceless, and is usually written <sh>

Voiced ʒ

The second, [ʒ], is voiced, and does not have a spelling of its own. It is frequently found written <si> before another vowel.

Spelled with <-sia>

-sia is pronounced [ʒə]

• Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Persia, ...

There are no English words in which [ʒ] is followed by [ɪ] or [i] before another vowel.

(Excepting the Italian wine name Pinot Grigio)

Spelled with <-sion>

-sion is pronounced [ʒən] if there is a vowel written before the s:

• e.g. vision, occasion, decision, division, precision, inclusion, confusion

If there is a consonant written before the s, it is pronounced [ʃ]: session, pension, propulsion, extorsion

Spelled with <-tion>

<equation> is the only -tion word pronounced with [ʒ] instead of [ʃ].

Spelled with <-sual>

Pronounced [ʒjuəl]

• visual, usual, casual, casualty

Spelled with <-sure> or <-zure>

Pronounced [ʒə]

Spelled VOWEL + -sure or -zure

• leisure, pleasure, measure, treasure, closure, exposure, erasure, composure
• seizure, azure
And derivative words:
• measuring, treasury, enclosure, ...

If there is a consonant written before the s, it is pronounced [ʃ]: pressure, ensure, ...

Spelled with <g>

Words of French origin can spell [ʒ] with a <g>:

• genre, Pret a Manger
• massage, prestige, camouflage, rouge, mirage, beige, montage, collage, concierge, liege, entourage, dressage, sabotage, triage, arbitrage, découpage, espionage, barrage, luge, corsage, décolletage, mange tout, fuselage
• regime, aubergine, gilet, bougie

Note that -age in these French loan words is pronounced with the vowel [ɑ] as in START. Single syllable words ending -age are pronounced [eɪdʒ] with the vowel [eɪ] as in FACE and the consonant [dʒ] as in JAY. (See -age pronunciation)

Spelled with <j>

Words of French origin can spell [ʒ] with a <j>:

• bijou
Food:
• tajine, goujon
Phrases:
• plat du jour, joie de vivre, déjà vu, objet d'art, force majeure, lèse-majesté
French names
• Dijon (mustard), Jean-Luc, ...