Not just you that knows/cares.
Not only that, but also where it’s positioned in the sentence. I’d say “All the houzez on the street are…” but I’d say “We’re going to look at housez.”
Z. NW PA transplanted to CA by way of MT and CO. And the “s” actually sounds like an odd affectation to me, as opposed to simply an alternate pronunciation.
z sound.
Grew up in the great plains and now in southern California. I’ve said it with the z sound all my life. Well actually just after I lost my telepathy and had to start vocalizing my thoughts.
Hou-sses
California
I say it with a S.
Wisconsin
I had a summer class to correct my messed up S’s and years of classes in music where I was told enunciate. It’s drilled into my mind to say S.
Ditto. Born, raised and living in NE Ohio.
oh, yup.
noun= housez
verb=houzez
michigan
Howziz. California Bay Area.
How-zez. Southern California.
I hear how-ssez a lot, and it drives me nuts—as I understand it, the -z- is historically correct, the -s- a spelling pronunciation (perceived to be “correct” by those who think that English spelling was designed by a logical person… once upon a time, there was no -z- and intervocalic -s- was voiced without re-spelling. Rose isn’t rohss, and roses aren’t rohssess). If I’m wrong please let me know!
Originally from IL, now in TX, but I think my English remains Midwestern. I’ve never said, “Y’all,” for instance—still “you guys.”
I’ll say it both ways but it’s 90% houzes and 10% housses.
I’ve noticed before that I tend to voice the middle s in ‘houses’ less than a straight z or final plural s (as in ‘vocalizing’ or ‘evils’). What was odd was that when I hear myself say it, I think I’m starting it voiceless and then voicing it. In fact, it goes the other way (cutting off the voicing as I make the sound).
I just realized I follow Chessic Sense’s examples on phrasing - “All the houses” definitely gets more voiced for me than “We’re going to look at houses.” Neither is quite the same as the final s in ‘houses’, though.
As a noun, hou-ses
As a verb, hou-ziz
Dallas, Texas
However, I’ve always surprised people when they hear I’m born and raised in the Dallas area. Most say that I have no discernable local accent of anywhere.
Now, how about the pronunciation of “either”. I’ve trained myself to say /ahy-ther/ and it’s automatic now. I tend to favor the pronunciation of the second vowel in two-vowel constructs.
And then there is “where”. My wife says that she can clearly hear the “wh” sound. I’ve never thought about it, but can’t imagine how else to pronounce it.
HOWzez for both noun and verb forms.
Northern Indiana born and raised.
Western PA, within the Pittsburgh sphere of influence (I grew up in a “yinz” region).
Houssez. Actually, depending on context, it ranges from a hard unvoiced S to a slightly voiced half s/half z. The end “s” is always voiced, though.
Chessic, it surprises me, too. I’m ranging through my memory and it seems to me that almost all -s plural-markers are voiced. Don’t know whether that’s just me, though.
Not if an immediately preceding consonant is unvoiced.
Compare:
"fats"with “fads” (FATS, FADZ)
“bits” with “bids” (BITS, BIDZ)
etc…
I pronounce the verb “houzes.”
I think I pronounce the plural noun “houzes,” (but now you’ve got me wondering whether that’s what I actually say when I’m not consciously thinking about it.
I think I pronounce the possessive (“house’s,” as in “the house’s roof”) with an s sound.
(central Illinois)
Like above:
Z for the verb and plural noun, S for the possessive
north-central Texas
Obviously not. How about “I don’t know why I’m posting this remark as everyone who cares about voiced versus voicless sibilants knows it already anyway” ?
I KNEW I was missing an exceptional rule…grrr…
Thanks!
My sister and I grew up in the same house near Dallas. I pronounce the “h” in where, what, why, when, whale, etc.; she does not.