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Long vs short vowel pairs

English distinguishes tense from lax vowels, and the difference carries meaning: ship and sheep are different words. Tense vowels are held longer with a more muscular tongue position; lax vowels are shorter and more central. Play the pairs back to back and listen for the length and the tension.

Accent

15 words · intermediate · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

ship
sheep
full
fool
pull
pool
bit
beat
live
leave
sit
seat
hit
heat
fit

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Diphthong words
Vowels that glide from one sound to another: boy, house, coin, near. Hear all eight diphthongs.
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Canadian raising words
About, house, price, write: the vowel lifts before voiceless consonants. Hear the famous shift.
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Vowel minimal pairs
Cat and cut, bed and bad, cop and cup. One vowel apart, completely different words.
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Consonant minimal pairs
Think and sink, thin and tin, van and ban. Consonant contrasts that change the word entirely.
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Confusing word pairs
Affect and effect, desert and dessert, accept and except. Similar words, different sounds.
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Number and date words
Thirteen or thirty? Fifteen or fifty? The stress is the only clue. Hear the pairs contrasted.
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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.