Z (letter): Difference between revisions

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==Use in English==
==Use in English==
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
'''z''' is a buzzing sound (which in English is actually more usually encountered as final '''s''' in words like '''hís, stŏries, dógs, hánds, líves, lîves''').  Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]]): '''zíp, Azerbaijàn, quíz, púzzle, hâzy'''.
'''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 (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.
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 words: '''pìzza''' (*pêetsə), '''piázza''' (*piátsə), '''paparázzi''' (*paparátsy).
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: '''Brézhnev''' - but is more often written '''s''' before '''i''' or '''u''': '''vísion, lêsion, pléasure, méasure, Âsian'''.
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).
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).
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But: '''frêeze, frôze, mâze, dâze, crâze, glâze, dòze''' ''sleep'' (cf. '''dôse''' ''quantity'', unvoiced '''s''').
But: '''frêeze, frôze, mâze, dâze, crâze, glâze, dòze''' ''sleep'' (cf. '''dôse''' ''quantity'', unvoiced '''s''').


Most words ending in -'''îse''' can also be spelt -'''îze''': '''émphasise''' or '''émphasize'''; but since -'''îze''' is never found in '''advîse, ádvertise, comprîse, cómpromise, despîse, éxercise, surmîse''', or '''surprîse''' (*surprîze appears as late as [[Jane Austen]], but no later) there is no reason not to spell them all -'''îse'''.
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.)


'''z''' does not begin clusters, so for example there is no zd- equivalent of '''st'''- as in some languages: '''s''' is used instead, as in '''mesméric''' mézm-.
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''.


There are redundant French '''z'''’s in '''lâissèz-fãire''' (*lày-sày-fãir) and '''rendezvous''' (*róndâyvoô).
==Scientific uses==


In some Scottish words '''z''' is pronounced as 'y': '''tâilzie, capercâilzie, Dalzéll''' (in some families); this 'y' in turn is sometimes slurred out of existence: *tâil(y)ee, *câper-câil(y)ee, *Dêe-yéll. More regular pronunciations may also be heard.
*''Z'': impedance
*''z'': generic symbol for a complex number

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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
  1. This comes from the Polish spelling.