I have difficulty distinguishing the two phonetic symbols. Roads, rose; needs, knees... Do these words sound very different to native speakers? How should I pronounce them?
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The difference being that one has a d sound that requires pronounciation, and the other does not. – Corsaka Feb 07 '20 at 10:25
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1I believe that all English speakers are able to discern the difference. Perhaps your native language doesn't have a consonant cluster. – Mohd Zulkanien Sarbini Feb 07 '20 at 10:39
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Yes, there is a difference. Try pronouncing "road" with the d on the end, then try to add an s. – Corsaka Feb 07 '20 at 10:58
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Yes, /dz/ and /z/ sound very different to native speakers, and when pronounced properly are clearly distinguishable.
It is actually far more common for /dz/ and /ts/ to be confused by non-native speakers, but even these are distinct.
As to how they should be pronounced - you should pronounce them as per pronunciation guides! Some sounds in any language can pose problems for non-native speakers, but if you try your best, native speakers can more easily use wider context to make up for slight deviations in pronunciation.
Astralbee
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(+1) Some minimal pairs for /ts/ and /dz/ are _totes/toads_, _boats/bodes_, _goats/goads_. These can indeed be difficult even for native speakers to distinguish aurally. Luckily I can't think of any pairs where the meanings are similar enough to present any potential for confusion, given context. – TypeIA Feb 07 '20 at 12:03
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The consonant clusters at the end of the word "totes" and "toads" are normally indistinguishable. That's because final-word obstruents are usually devoiced (at least partially). The only difference that speakers can hear is the vowel length. The *GOAT* vowel in "toads" is just slightly longer. [This answer](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/223160/the-pronunciation-of-ending-s/223308?r=SearchResults#223308) by Araucaria is very interesting. – Mohd Zulkanien Sarbini Feb 07 '20 at 13:42
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With /dz/ the tongue (almost) taps against the alveolar ridge (similar to /d/) before pronouncing the subsequent /z/. This does not happen with /z/, as a matter of course.
Pronounce repeatedly /d/ followed by /z/. With each repetition reduce the distance between the two. Don't try to pronounce a perfect /d/ before the /z/ as the /d/ is a reduced one and the /z/ dominates. You got it if you not even need to move the tonge in order to pronounce both subsequent sounds. Then, the tongue is prepared for the pronunciation of /z/ (by means of its very tip) and of /d/ (by means of its upper front part). The d explosion happens between the alveolar ridge and the upper front part of the tongue and is followed directly by the z pronunciation.
Ben A.
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