In my experience working with speech therapy clients, it’s common to find confusion around words that contain the letter 'z' but don’t actually produce the voiced /z/ sound we need for articulation practice. For example, pizza and pretzel are often mistaken as ideal words to target the /z/ sound because of their spelling, but the actual sound is closer to an /s/ or a softer /ts/ sound. This can lead to ineffective therapy sessions if we focus on spelling rather than phonetics. I’ve noticed that when therapists emphasize the precise sounds—voiced versus voiceless consonants—clients, especially children, make clearer progress. The voiced /z/ sound requires the vocal cords to vibrate, which is a motor skill that builds muscle memory different from producing the voiceless /s/. Using words that truly contain the voiced /z/ sound, such as "zebra," "buzz," or "zip," helps clients practice and hear the difference. Additionally, recording accurate data during therapy sessions depends on targeting the correct phonemes. If a client practices a word like pizza that doesn’t have the /z/ articulation, the progress data may be misleading or less relevant. For successful speech therapy, it’s crucial to design word lists and exercises based on the actual sound production rather than the letters written on the page. Incorporating this approach has made a tangible difference in my therapy sessions. It encourages clients to focus on how their mouths and vocal cords create sound rather than relying on spelling rules. This aligns perfectly with the principles of targeted articulation therapy and speech pathology best practices. Overall, remember: sound over spelling leads to more productive and accurate speech therapy outcomes.