So.....they're.....quotations? Seems that's what you said before you edited your post. O.o

Edit: Okay, I see your edit now. I'll be sure to let him know (cause he's too lazy to come on here and ask himself) Thanks Keaton (third time, FTW!)

Yep, they're quote marks. For some reason I wrote that they were parentheses, then I double posted :D

I enunciate the "ddzzz" sound more in づ rather that just plain "zu" with ず. Hahah, it's hard to explain. Hearing it is even difficult to catch. My entire Japanese class in high school, including the teacher just pronounced both as "zu."

In which case i ask for a word containing づ and an example sentence please.

Kanji -> Kana -> Romaji -> English please. This looks like an interesting point for discussion and I want everyone to be included.

Im going to bed now.. ill be back in about 8 hours.. hopefully longer but it depends what time my dog decides to come pounce on me in the morning..

おやすみ

漬け -> づけ -> Dzuke -> Pickled

付く -> づく -> Dzuku -> To become (such as tired, healthy, ill)

詰め -> づめ -> Dzume -> 1) Stuffing, packaging 2) The end of a bridge

付き -> づき -> Dzuki -> To be furnished with. アパアトは、ソファを付きています (I think)

Well, I wouldn't say づ is pronounced the same as ず in standard Tokyo dialect. For example, if you pronounced 続く as つずく, I think people would say you're mispronouncing it.

The "d" sound is there in つづく to the best of my knowledge. That's what I hear, anyways. Tsudzuku. Not Tsuzuku. But maybe it's like the difference between the various が pronunciations depending on where it appears in a sentence. The が in 学校 is technically pronounced differently than the が in 背が高い. It separates commoner Japanese from newscaster Japanese.

My Japanese professor in college couldn't even make the distinction, but I could! I remember asking her one time, and she told me she couldn't even make the newscaster が sound. It's like the "ng" in "sing" + "a."

Yeah, like okange. My girlfriend can't even tell the difference but I noticed it :D

And from what I've heard, Tokyo dialect doesn't distinguish between ず and づ

its different in different places in japan.
this map shows where
File:Yotsugana.png - Wikimedia Commons

Is your girlfriend Japanese Keaton?
thanks for the examples, this is a complete new one on me... im shocked... i feel like im right back at the beggining..

another one i can think of is
近づく　chikadzuku to approach