Many non-native English speakers assume that making consonants longer will make their speech clearer. It seems logical: if you pronounce every sound carefully, people should understand you better. 

But with S and Z, the opposite often happens.

One of the most common habits I correct in coaching is over-lengthening these sounds. When your S's and Z's last too long, they steal attention from the vowels—and in American English, the vowels carry much more of the rhythm and clarity of speech.

The Problem With Long S and Z Sounds

Listen to these phrases:

• I was reviewing...
• Business presentation
• Realized the metric section
• Last-minute updates
• Everyone wants answers at once

Many learners instinctively pronounce them like this:

I wassss reviewing...

Businessssss presentation...

Realizzzzzed...

The S or Z becomes the longest part of the word.

American speakers don't do that.

Instead, they move through these consonants quickly and place much more emphasis on the vowels.

American English Prioritizes Vowels

Think of vowels as the foundation of American speech.

The vowels are:

• Longer
• Louder
• More noticeable

S and Z are important, but they simply connect one vowel to the next. They aren't meant to become the focus.

Compare these:

Less natural

Realizzzzed

More American

Rea-li-zed

The Z is still there—it just doesn't last very long.

The same pattern appears in words like:

• business
• slides
• answers
• priorities
• proposals
• perspectives
• requests

The consonants are clear, but brief.

Why This Improves Clarity

When S and Z become too long, they interrupt the flow of speech.

Instead of hearing the vowel pattern, listeners hear a series of prolonged hissing sounds.

American English tends to move quickly through consonants so the airflow can return to the vowels.

The result is speech that sounds smoother, more open, and easier to process.

Practice Moving Faster Through S and Z

Try saying these phrases while deliberately shortening every S and Z:

• I was reviewing the slides.
• Tomorrow's business presentation.
• Last-minute updates.
• The numbers shift every time.
• One of those weeks.
• Everyone wants answers at once.
• During the client call this morning.
• The proposals feel more airtight.
• One of the biggest advantages.
• A lot of unexpected requests.

Focus on keeping the vowels full and letting the S and Z simply connect the sounds.

The Goal Isn't to Eliminate S and Z

You should absolutely pronounce these consonants.

The goal is simply not to linger on them.

When the consonants become shorter, the vowels naturally become more prominent—and that's one of the characteristics that gives American English its rhythm and clarity.

If Americans sometimes ask you to repeat yourself, shortening your S and Z sounds while giving more emphasis to your vowels can make a surprisingly large difference.