Mastering Possessive ’s in English

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Mastering Possessive ’s in English: 

Meaning, Spelling, and Pronunciation


One little apostrophe can cause a lot of confusion—especially when it comes to showing possession in English. Let’s break it down step by step with examples, meanings, and pronunciation tips so you’ll never be in doubt again.

1. Expressing Possession with ’s

Here’s how we turn the name / the people into people’s names.

Examples:

  • the car / John → John’s car

  • the house / my parents → my parents’ house

  • the toys / the children → the children’s toys

  • the decision / the committee → the committee’s decision

  • the book / Sarah → Sarah’s book

  • the office / the company → the company’s office

  • the opinions / the students → the students’ opinions

  • the dog / the neighbors → the neighbors’ dog

  • the homework / the teacher → the teacher’s homework

  • the rights / the workers → the workers’ rights

2. Parent’s vs. Parents’

  • My parent’s house → one parent

  • My parents’ house → both parents

Pronunciation tip: Both sound exactly the same: /ˈper.ənts/.
The apostrophe changes the meaning but not the sound.

3. When Is ’s Pronounced /s/, /z/, or /ɪz/?

The pronunciation of ’s depends on the last sound of the word, not the spelling.

Last sound of the word

’s sound

Example

Pronunciation

Voiceless consonant (p, k, f, t, θ)    /s/Jack’s car/dʒæks/

Voiced consonant   
(b, d, g, v, ð, m, n, ŋ, l, r) or vowel		   /z/Bob’s hat // Anna’s book/bɑːbz/, /ænəz/
S-like sounds (s, z, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ)  /ɪz/George’s idea // bus’s door/ˈdʒɔːrdʒɪz/,
     /ˈbʌsɪz/

Examples:

  • Jack’s → ends in /k/ → /s/

  • Bob’s → ends in /b/ → /z/

  • George’s → ends in /dʒ/ → /ɪz/

4. Words Ending in -s: Bus, Jesus, and More

Most modern style guides recommend adding ’s even if the word ends in -s:

  • the bus’s driver → /ˈbʌsɪz/ (“bus-iz”)

  • Jesus’s teachings → /ˈdʒiːzəsɪz/ (“Jesus-iz”)

Some older or journalistic styles use only the apostrophe (Jesus’ teachings), but pronunciation stays the same.

5. Quick Rule of Thumb

  • Singular noun → ’s (the dog’s bone)

  • Plural noun ending in -s → ’ (the dogs’ park)

  • Plural noun not ending in -s → ’s (the children’s toys)

And the pronunciation rule above always applies.

Final Tip

The most common kind of question about "possessions" usually starts with whose. Take a look at these examples:

  • Whose book is it?
    → It's John's.

  • Whose books are these?
    → They're John's.

From now on, try saying who the things in your house or office belong to. Walk around and, in a low voice, say something like:

  • That's my brother's computer.

  • Those are my mother's cosmetics.

This practice might help you a lot.




QUIZ TIME:

Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and write down your sentences. Then, check your work using the link below.

Rewrite the sentences using the correct possessive form:


  1. The bike belonging to John is in the garage. → _______

  2. The apartment where my parents live is near the park. → _______

  3. The toys that belong to the children are in the box. → _______

  4. The decision made by the committee surprised everyone. → _______

  5. The teachings of Jesus inspired many people. → _______



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