Common mistakes
French s and z: poisson, poison, coussin and cousin
Keep fish apart from poison and a cushion apart from a cousin. Compare s and z, learn the common s/ss spelling pattern and try four checks.
- A1
- 4 corrections
- Examples and fixes
- Learn this in the A1 notebook →
In short
Poisson /pwasɔ̃/ means “fish”; poison /pwazɔ̃/ means “poison”. Keep the vowels the same and change the middle consonant: /s/ is voiceless, while /z/ has vocal-fold vibration. The same contrast separates coussin /kusɛ̃/ from cousin /kuzɛ̃/.
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- poisson /pwasɔ̃/poisonfish
Je prends du poisson.I’ll have fish.
Keep /s/ in the middle. The double ss marks the voiceless sound in this word.
- cousin /kuzɛ̃/cushionmale cousin
Mon cousin arrive demain.My cousin is arriving tomorrow.
Use /z/ for the person. For a cushion, use coussin /kusɛ̃/.
- rose /ʁoz/a middle /s/ soundrose
Cette rose est rouge.This rose is red.
A single s between vowel letters commonly gives /z/: rose, maison, poison.
- sac /sak/an initial /z/ soundbag
Mon sac est sur la table.My bag is on the table.
At the start of sac, the single s gives /s/. Check its position before applying the between-vowels pattern.
Six meanings to keep distinct
Find:
Study first: where is the s?
| Spelling position | Example | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ss between vowel letters | poisson · coussin · tasse | /s/ |
| single s between vowel letters | poison · cousin · rose | /z/ |
| s at the start of a word | sac · soupe | /s/ |
For /s/ and /z/, keep the air flowing through a narrow gap. Sustain /s/, then try /z/ with a light buzz. You can rest your fingertips lightly on your throat to feel the vibration. Keep the vowel and the loudness similar while you compare.
- Léa
Mon cousin est dans le salon.
My cousin is in the living room.
- Nora
Avec le coussin jaune ?
With the yellow cushion?
- Léa
Oui, il est assis sur le canapé.
Yes, he’s sitting on the sofa.
In cousin and coussin, both words have two syllables. The double letter marks /s/ here; it adds no extra syllable. Keep the final nasal vowel the same while changing the middle consonant.