The buzzing Z of "zero" and "lazy" and the soft ZH of "measure" and "television" are missing from many Indian languages. Some speakers replace Z with a J-like sound, others with an S, and the ZH of "measure" may become J or SH. These shifts are small, but they land on important words: "zero" in a phone number, "zone" in an address, "size" in a shop, "decision" in a meeting. What you will learn: • The two buzzing sounds • Z said as J • Z said as S • Many speakers have a clear Z • Zh said as J or SH • The reverse: J said closer to Z • Where it matters: codes, numbers and names • Practice: decode the sentence • Listening strategies • Self-check questions to test your ear Level: B1–B2. Self-study: listen, then take the quizzes. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.