ts / dz

Italian z (ts/dz)

z is either voiceless /ts/ (pizza, grazie) or voiced /dz/ (zero, pranzo)

ConsonantIPA: /ts / dz/

Practice Words

pizzagraziestazionezeropranzopiazzapalazzobellezzaragazzomezzo

Accent-Specific Pronunciation Guide

How you approach this sound depends on your English accent. Find yours below for personalised coaching.

American English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

You have both sounds: 'ts' from 'cats' and 'dz' from 'adze'. In Italian, z can be either voiceless (ts: pizza, grazie) or voiced (dz: zero, pranzo). The challenge is knowing which words use which — there's no reliable rule; it's word-by-word.

Bridge from: cats (ts), adze/adds (dz) (ts (cats), dz (adze))

Common mistakes:

•Using English z (a pure fricative, not an affricate)
•Not knowing when to voice/devoice (memorisation needed)
•Saying 'peet-za' with separated t-s instead of unified ts

Drill sequence:

cats → ts → pizza, grazie
adze → dz → zero, pranzo

British English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Both sounds available from 'cats' and 'adze'. Apply to Italian z.

Bridge from: cats, adze (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•English z

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza

Australian / NZ English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Same — both sounds from 'cats' (ts) and 'adze' (dz). Apply to Italian z words.

Bridge from: cats, adze (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•English z instead of affricate

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza
adze → zero

Irish English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Both sounds from 'cats'/'adze'. Apply to Italian z.

Bridge from: cats (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•English z

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza

Scottish English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Both sounds from 'cats'/'adze'. Apply to Italian z.

Bridge from: cats (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•English z

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza

Indian English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 1/5

You have both sounds readily available. Some Indian English speakers naturally produce z as more affricated. Hindi ज़ is close to dz. The ts from 'cats' covers the voiceless variant. This should be straightforward.

Bridge from: cats, Hindi ज़ (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•Minimal — the sounds are accessible

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza, grazie
Hindi ज़ area → zero

South African English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Both available from English. Apply to Italian z.

Bridge from: cats, adze (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•English z

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza

Nigerian / W. African English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Both sounds from 'cats' (ts) and 'adze' (dz). Yoruba has /dz/-like sounds in some dialects. Apply to Italian z words.

Bridge from: cats (ts / dz)

Common mistakes:

•Using English z (pure fricative)

Drill sequence:

cats → pizza
adze → zero

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce the Italian Italian z (ts/dz)?▾

The Italian Italian z (ts/dz) is written as ts / dz in IPA. z is either voiceless /ts/ (pizza, grazie) or voiced /dz/ (zero, pranzo). The technique varies by your English accent — scroll down for personalised coaching for American, British, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Indian, South African, and Nigerian speakers.

Is the Italian Italian z (ts/dz) hard for English speakers?▾

It depends on your accent. For some English accents, this is a direct transfer (you already make this sound). For others, it's genuinely new. Check the accent-specific section below to see your difficulty rating.

What words use the Italian Italian z (ts/dz) sound?▾

Common practice words include: pizza, grazie, stazione, zero, pranzo, piazza. These are good starting points for drilling this sound.