S

1. the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a consonant, and is often called a sibilant, in allusion to its hissing sound. It has two principal sounds; one a mere hissing, as in sack , this ; the other a vocal hissing (the same as that of z ), as in is , wise . Besides these it sometimes has the sounds of sh and zh , as in sure , measure . It generally has its hissing sound at the beginning of words, but in the middle and at the end of words its sound is determined by usage. In a few words it is silent, as in isle , débris . With the letter h it forms the digraph sh . See Guide to pronunciation , §§ 255-261.

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