3. The Initial Pair z and c

Cantonese Sound	Aspiration
Initial z	Unaspirated
Initial c	Aspirated 💨

The Initial z - Step 1 👂

Listen to the initial z.

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z ‒ z ‒ z ‒ z ‒ z

Listen and repeat.

💡 Tips

Blade of tongue: The flat part just behind your tongue tip

Alveolar ridge: The small ridge just behind your upper front teeth

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z ‒ z ‒ z ‒ z ‒ z

Listen to the initial c.

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c ‒ c ‒ c ‒ c ‒ c

Listen and repeat.

💡 Tips

Blade of tongue: The flat part just behind your tongue tip

Alveolar ridge: The small ridge just behind your upper front teeth

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c ‒ c ‒ c ‒ c ‒ c

Practice saying the initials z and c with different finals. Listen and repeat.

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💡 Tips

Cantonese Sound	IPA	Similar English Sound
Initial z	[ts]	j as in jump Note that the initial z and the j sound in jump are not identical. When we say the j sound in jump, we round our lips. However, when we say the initial z, we don’t round our lips.
Initial c	[tsʰ]	t + s as in cats The initial c is similar to the ending sound of a word ending with t and the plural s.