Post by DingbatPost by Ken BlakeI think the sound at the end of the plural of any (almost any?) noun
that ends in "e" is voiced.
How about ending with a silent "e". The ending of "spices" is unvoiced.
I now compiled some lists from a dictionary.
That dictionary says "spices" is pronounced /spaIsIz/,
so you find "-ces" in the first list. "-ees" ("degrees")
also is in the first list. But, for example, "Francis"
is pronounced with a /s/ at the end in that dictionary.
I already posted those lists on January 4, 2015, but those
lists from 2015 seem to contain at least one error, so I
compiled all lists anew for this 2017 post here.
Endings that are ending in "s" and always are pronounced
with a voiced /z/ at the end:
"-abs", "-ads", "-aes", "-ags", "-ahs", "-als", "-ams",
"-ars", "-aus", "-avs", "-aws", "-ays", "-bas", "-bbs",
"-bes", "-bos", "-bys", "-cas", "-ces", "-dds", "-des",
"-ebs", "-eds", "-ees", "-egs", "-eis", "-els", "-ems",
"-ens", "-eos", "-ers", "-evs", "-ews", "-eys", "-fas",
"-fis", "-ggs", "-gms", "-gns", "-gos", "-has", "-hms",
"-hns", "-hys", "-ibs", "-ids", "-ies", "-igs", "-ils",
"-ims", "-ins", "-ios", "-irs", "-jos", "-kas", "-kis",
"-kos", "-lbs", "-lds", "-les", "-lls", "-lms", "-lns",
"-los", "-mbs", "-mes", "-mns", "-nas", "-nds", "-nes",
"-ngs", "-nns", "-nos", "-oas", "-obs", "-ods", "-oes",
"-ogs", "-ohs", "-ois", "-ols", "-oms", "-ons", "-oos",
"-ors", "-ows", "-oys", "-qis", "-rbs", "-rds", "-res",
"-rgs", "-rls", "-rns", "-rrs", "-sas", "-ses", "-sms",
"-sos", "-srs", "-tas", "-tls", "-tys", "-uas", "-ubs",
"-uds", "-ugs", "-uls", "-ums", "-uns", "-uos", "-urs",
"-uys", "-ves", "-vos", "-was", "-wds", "-wes", "-wis",
"-wls", "-wns", "-wos", "-xes", "-yls", "-yms", "-yos",
"-yrs", "-zas", "-zes", "-zis", and "-zos".
Endings that are ending in "s" and always are pronounced
with a unvoiced /s/ at the end:
"-acs", "-afs", "-aks", "-aos", "-aps", "-ass", "-ats",
"-bts", "-chs", "-cis", "-cks", "-cts", "-cus", "-ecs",
"-efs", "-eks", "-eps", "-ess", "-ffs", "-fts", "-gus",
"-hts", "-ics", "-iks", "-ips", "-iss", "-ius", "-kes",
"-khs", "-lfs", "-lks", "-lps", "-lts", "-lus", "-mps",
"-nks", "-ocs", "-ofs", "-oks", "-ops", "-oss", "-phs",
"-pps", "-pts", "-pus", "-rcs", "-rfs", "-rks", "-rps",
"-scs", "-sis", "-sks", "-sps", "-sts", "-tts", "-tus",
"-ufs", "-uis", "-uss", "-wks", "-wts", "-xas", "-xts",
"-xus", "-yps", and "-yss".
Endings that are ending in "s" and are sometimes
pronounced with a voiced /z/ and sometimes with an
unvoiced /s/:
"-ais", "-ans", "-bis", "-bus", "-cos", "-das", "-dis",
"-dos", "-dus", "-eas", "-ets", "-eus", "-fes", "-gas",
"-ges", "-ghs", "-gis", "-hes", "-his", "-hos", "-hus",
"-ias", "-ifs", "-its", "-las", "-lis", "-mas", "-mis",
"-mos", "-mus", "-ncs", "-nis", "-nts", "-nus", "-ots",
"-ous", "-pas", "-pes", "-pis", "-pos", "-ras", "-ris",
"-rms", "-ros", "-rts", "-rus", "-sus", "-tes", "-ths",
"-tis", "-tos", "-ues", "-ups", "-uts", "-vas", "-vis",
"-xis", and "-yes".