Some of the most common English words change their final sound depending on whether they act as a noun or a verb - even when the spelling is identical. Say advice with a soft hiss /s/, but advise with a voiced buzz /z/.
The Rule: Noun = voiceless /s/. Verb = voiced /z/. Sometimes the spelling also changes (advice/advise, device/devise); sometimes only the sound does (use, house, close, excuse, abuse).
Nouns: the /s/ ending
Verbs: the /z/ ending
More pairs: device/devise, close (adj /s/)/close (verb /z/), abuse, half/halve, belief/believe.
Why Does This Happen?
Voicing the final consonant (turning /s/ into /z/) is an old English way of marking a word as an action. Your vocal cords are off for the noun and on for the verb - a tiny switch that carries real grammar.
Quick Summary
| Word | Noun /s/ | Verb /z/ |
|---|---|---|
| advice / advise | /ədˈvaɪs/ | /ədˈvaɪz/ |
| use | /juːs/ | /juːz/ |
| house | /haʊs/ | /haʊz/ |
| excuse | /ɪkˈskjuːs/ | /ɪkˈskjuːz/ |
Want to train your ear and mouth on these patterns? Try our interactive pronunciation practice and hear each sound in context.