Your teacher will read aloud a few word pairs. Listen carefully and encircle pairs in which the words sound different.
pair-peer
Sound different
ate-eight
Sound same
bed-bad
Sound different
knot-not
Sound same
fair-fare
Sound same
hair-hare
Sound same
fair-fear
Sound different
where-were
Sound different
sun-son
Sound same
deer-dear
Sound same
cold-could
Sound different
heal-heel
Sound same
knot-note
Sound different
dare-dear
Sound different
wood-would
Sound same
fill-feel
Sound different
Explanation
(1) 'Pair' (/peər/) and 'peer' (/pɪər/) have different vowel sounds. (2) Both are pronounced /eɪt/ - they are homophones. (3) 'Bed' (/bed/) and 'bad' (/bæd/) have different vowel sounds. (4) Both are pronounced /nɒt/ - they are homophones. (5) Both are pronounced /feər/ - they are homophones. (6) Both are pronounced /heər/ - they are homophones. (7) 'Fair' (/feər/) and 'fear' (/fɪər/) have different vowel sounds. (8) 'Where' (/weər/) and 'were' (/wɜːr/) have different vowel sounds. (9) Both are pronounced /sʌn/ - they are homophones. (10) Both are pronounced /dɪər/ - they are homophones. (11) 'Cold' (/kəʊld/) and 'could' (/kʊd/) have different vowel sounds and lengths. (12) Both are pronounced /hiːl/ - they are homophones. (13) 'Knot' (/nɒt/) and 'note' (/nəʊt/) have different vowel sounds. (14) 'Dare' (/deər/) and 'dear' (/dɪər/) have different vowel sounds. (15) Both are pronounced /wʊd/ - they are homophones. (16) 'Fill' (/fɪl/) and 'feel' (/fiːl/) have different vowel sounds.