zh – an unusual sound

The sound that is sometimes represented by zh in phonetic notation is fairly rare in English.

In English, we use the zh sound in:

• g in beige
• s in usual

In French, it is the sound made by the letter j:

• je (I)
• jambon (ham)
• jardin (garden)

It is also the soft sound made by the letter g:

• girafe (giraffe)
• manger (to eat)

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