[ʒ]
Like the "s" in the following English words:
- Measure
- Pleasure
- Leisure
- Vision
Examples:
Gente
/ˈʒẽtʃi/
People
Jornal
/ʒoʁˈnaw/
Newspaper
Jogar
/ʒoˈɡaʁ/
To play
Viajar
/viaˈʒaʁ/
To travel
The IPA sound /ʒ/ is a voiced palato-alveolar fricative. This means that it is produced by constricting the airstream between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, just behind the alveolar ridge. The tongue is curled back, and the airstream is forced through a narrow opening, creating a hissing sound. However, unlike the /ʃ/ sound, the vocal cords are vibrating when the /ʒ/ sound is produced, giving it a "voiced" quality.
The /ʒ/ sound is often described as a "zh" sound, because it is the sound that is made when you say the word "measure" or "fusion". It is also sometimes called a "sibilant" sound, because it is produced with a hissing sound.