Hissing

French and English both make a difference between the /z/ and /s/ sounds, so that using one or the other sound can change the meaning of the word. There can be some interesting misunderstandings if the wrong phoneme (ok, sound) is used: What is a lazy curtain? How can a child be a fuzzy eater?

Generally, this difference is not a problem for most speakers of English, except for those whose variety "devoices final obstuants." The difference between /s/ and /z/, however, does pose a problem for students for whom Spanish is the native language, since the /z/ sound does not exist in that language (the letter does, but the sound does not). Why is it important to make the difference? Imagine the reaction if you tell people you live in the dessert!