Wednesday, February 3, 2016

What is the pronunciation of the possessive words that already end in s?











My name is Greg — this is Greg 's post.



If my name ended with an 's', I am aware of the proper apostrophe usage (James → James'), but how should this be pronounced?



Phonetically, am I Jameses best friend or James best friend?


Answer





James' [z] best friend




sounds better. If this is the right form, then according to this thread, [z] would apply:




In the suffix -(e)s, indicative of the plural of a noun, the possessive case of a noun, or the 3rd. person singular past tense of a verb, the -s is read:






  • voiceless, [s], when it comes after a voiceless consonant...




    cats, tracks, boots, walks, etc.



  • and voiced, [z], when it comes after a voiced consonant or a vowel.




    dogs, cars, skies, keys, days, etc.





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