Z (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''Z''' is the twenty-sixth and last letter of the [[English alphabet]]. | '''Z, z''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the twenty-sixth and last letter of most variants, being placed after [[Y (letter)|Y]], as is the case for instance in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is pronounced [ˈzed] in [[British English]] and [ˈziː] in [[American English|American]], and these are sometimes spelt ''zed'' and ''zee''. | ||
A lower case '''z''' is the symbol for [[redshift]]. | A lower case '''z''' is the symbol for [[redshift]]. | ||
==Use in English== | ==Use in English== | ||
'''z''' | {{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}} | ||
'''z''', called '''zéd''' in British English and '''zêe''' in American, represents a buzzing sound more usually encountered as final '''s''' in words like '''hís, stŏries, dógs, hánds, líves, lîves''': '''zíp, zôo, Azerbaijàn, quíz, púzzle, hâzy'''. | |||
{{:English spellings/Accents}} | |||
It is often doubled, especially at the end of monosyllables: '''fízz, búzz, whízz, jázz, fúzz''' and thus before certain endings: '''fízzle, dázzle, nózzle, embézzle, búzzer, búzzing, whízzed, jázzy, fúzzy'''. | It is often doubled, especially at the end of monosyllables: '''fízz, búzz, whízz, jázz, fúzz''' and thus before certain endings: '''fízzle, dázzle, nózzle, embézzle, búzzer, búzzing, whízzed, jázzy, fúzzy'''. | ||
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There is no clear rule about doubling it: it is always doubled before -'''er''' as in '''búzzer''', and also in '''búzzard''' and '''blízzard''', but not in '''házard, lízard''' or '''wízard'''. | There is no clear rule about doubling it: it is always doubled before -'''er''' as in '''búzzer''', and also in '''búzzard''' and '''blízzard''', but not in '''házard, lízard''' or '''wízard'''. | ||
Winston Churchill used the simple '''z''' sound in '''Nàzi''', presumably to show contempt for the German language; in English it is usually pronounced *nàhtsêe (*nàtsy, cf. BrE '''nàsty'''), the preceding '''t''' sound making '''z''' unvoiced, a hiss; this is heard in other words from German such as '''quårtz''' (*kwŏrts) and '''Kátz''' ''person'' (= '''cáts''' ''animals''), while in '''wåltz''' (*wålse) the '''t''' is often silent. | |||
This ts is also the sound of '''zz''' in Italian | |||
This -ts- is also the sound of '''zz''' in words from Italian: '''pìzza''' (*pêetsə), '''piázza''' (*piátsə), '''paparázzi''' (*paparátsy), '''pizzicàto''' (*pitsicàto). And of the single '''z''' in (sk-) '''schízo'''-: '''schízoid''', '''schizophrênia''' (*skitsəfrênia). | |||
In '''ázure''', '''z''' can sound like '''z''' plus semi-consonantal '''y''' plus '''û''', but more often is heard with the '''zh''' sound, which is actually written as such in foreign (especially Russian) words: '''Solzhenítsyn''', '''Brézhnev''', but more often is shown as '''s''' before '''i''' or '''u''': '''vísion, lêsion, pléasure, méasure, Âsian'''. | |||
At the end of a word with silent '''e''', '''s''' is more common: '''nôse, nŏise, clôse''' ''shut'', '''phâse, plêase''' (cf. '''crêase, grêase''', which have the hissing '''s''' sound). | |||
But: '''frêeze, frôze, mâze, dâze, crâze, glâze, dòze''' ''sleep'' (cf. '''dôse''' ''quantity'', unvoiced '''s'''). | |||
Most words ending in -'''îse''' can also be spelt -'''îze''' (and are always so spelt in AmE): '''émphasise''' or '''émphasize'''; but -'''îze''' is never found in '''advîse, ádvertise, comprîse, cómpromise, despîse, éxercise, surmîse''', or '''surprîse'''—though [[Jane Austen]] spells it *surprîze. | |||
'''z''' does not begin clusters; '''s''' is used instead, as in '''mesméric''' mézm-. | |||
There are redundant French '''z''''s in '''lâissèz-fãire''' (*lây-sây-fãir) and '''rendezvous''' (*róndâyvoô). | |||
In | In some Scottish words '''z''' is pronounced as '''y''': '''tâilzie, capercâilzie'''; this '''y''' sound in turn is sometimes slurred out of existence: *tâil(y)ee, *cápper-câil(y)ee. More regular pronunciations also exist (and, in the case of '''capercâillie''', spelling). | ||
In BrE, '''z''' may be pronounced as unvoiced '''th''' in Spanish words such as '''Ibìza''', to mimic Castilian [[Spanish]] pronunciation, instead of an '''s''' or '''z''' sound. | |||
'''Brazíl''' has a '''z''', but '''Brasília''', a much later coinage and hence import, has an '''s'''; both have '''s''' in the original Portuguese and the '''z''' sound in both languages. (This is a good example of how more recent imports to English are much less likely to change their spelling from the original.) | |||
z | There is an irregular '''z''' in the '''Czéch''' of '''Czéch Repúblic''':<ref>This comes from the Polish spelling.</ref> '''Czéch''' is pronounced like '''chéck''' ''verify'' and '''chéque''' ''money''. | ||
==Scientific uses== | |||
*''Z'': impedance | |||
* | *''z'': generic symbol for a complex number | ||
* | |||
Latest revision as of 15:40, 4 April 2017
Z, z is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the twenty-sixth and last letter of most variants, being placed after Y, as is the case for instance in the English alphabet. Its English name is pronounced [ˈzed] in British English and [ˈziː] in American, and these are sometimes spelt zed and zee.
A lower case z is the symbol for redshift.
Use in English
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use in English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retroalphabetical list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common misspellings |
z, called zéd in British English and zêe in American, represents a buzzing sound more usually encountered as final s in words like hís, stŏries, dógs, hánds, líves, lîves: zíp, zôo, Azerbaijàn, quíz, púzzle, hâzy.
- The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.
It is often doubled, especially at the end of monosyllables: fízz, búzz, whízz, jázz, fúzz and thus before certain endings: fízzle, dázzle, nózzle, embézzle, búzzer, búzzing, whízzed, jázzy, fúzzy.
There is no clear rule about doubling it: it is always doubled before -er as in búzzer, and also in búzzard and blízzard, but not in házard, lízard or wízard.
Winston Churchill used the simple z sound in Nàzi, presumably to show contempt for the German language; in English it is usually pronounced *nàhtsêe (*nàtsy, cf. BrE nàsty), the preceding t sound making z unvoiced, a hiss; this is heard in other words from German such as quårtz (*kwŏrts) and Kátz person (= cáts animals), while in wåltz (*wålse) the t is often silent.
This -ts- is also the sound of zz in words from Italian: pìzza (*pêetsə), piázza (*piátsə), paparázzi (*paparátsy), pizzicàto (*pitsicàto). And of the single z in (sk-) schízo-: schízoid, schizophrênia (*skitsəfrênia).
In ázure, z can sound like z plus semi-consonantal y plus û, but more often is heard with the zh sound, which is actually written as such in foreign (especially Russian) words: Solzhenítsyn, Brézhnev, but more often is shown as s before i or u: vísion, lêsion, pléasure, méasure, Âsian.
At the end of a word with silent e, s is more common: nôse, nŏise, clôse shut, phâse, plêase (cf. crêase, grêase, which have the hissing s sound).
But: frêeze, frôze, mâze, dâze, crâze, glâze, dòze sleep (cf. dôse quantity, unvoiced s).
Most words ending in -îse can also be spelt -îze (and are always so spelt in AmE): émphasise or émphasize; but -îze is never found in advîse, ádvertise, comprîse, cómpromise, despîse, éxercise, surmîse, or surprîse—though Jane Austen spells it *surprîze.
z does not begin clusters; s is used instead, as in mesméric mézm-.
There are redundant French z's in lâissèz-fãire (*lây-sây-fãir) and rendezvous (*róndâyvoô).
In some Scottish words z is pronounced as y: tâilzie, capercâilzie; this y sound in turn is sometimes slurred out of existence: *tâil(y)ee, *cápper-câil(y)ee. More regular pronunciations also exist (and, in the case of capercâillie, spelling).
In BrE, z may be pronounced as unvoiced th in Spanish words such as Ibìza, to mimic Castilian Spanish pronunciation, instead of an s or z sound.
Brazíl has a z, but Brasília, a much later coinage and hence import, has an s; both have s in the original Portuguese and the z sound in both languages. (This is a good example of how more recent imports to English are much less likely to change their spelling from the original.)
There is an irregular z in the Czéch of Czéch Repúblic:[1] Czéch is pronounced like chéck verify and chéque money.
Scientific uses
- Z: impedance
- z: generic symbol for a complex number
- ↑ This comes from the Polish spelling.