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Minimal Pairs Listening and Pronunciation Practice

This minimal pairs listening comprehension can help you improve recognition and pronunciation of similar English sounds. First listen to the pairs of words pronounced one after the other. Next, do the quiz that follows testing the differences between the minimal pairs.

Target pair: ae as in 'caught' u as in 'bird'

Click on the audio symbol and listen to the following pairs of words. When you have listened, try repeating the words yourself.

  • awning earning
  • call curl
  • caught curt
  • consort concert
  • curse coarse
  • export expert
  • form firm
  • lawn learn
  • pawed purred
  • shorts shirts
  • walk work

Click on the audio symbol and listen to the sentences. Choose which of the target words has been used in sentence. Click on the arrow next to "Text" to see the text read.

yawning earning
Text:

call curl
Text:

caught curt
Text:

consort concert
Text:

curse coarse
Text:

export expert
Text:

form firm
Text:

lawn learn
Text:

pawed purred
Text:

shorts shirts
Text:

walk work
Text:

More pronunciation practice with minimal pairs

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