Difficult sounds the same or different pairwork
homophones, phonemic script and difficult minimal pairs for Japanese learners of English
Student A
For each line below, you have to decide with your partner if the pronunciations of the word you have and the word they have are the same of different. Different words that have the same pronunciation (= homophones) count as the same. Rules
- You can read out the individual words and/ or the whole sentences
- You cannot spell the words out
- You cannot translate the words
- You can pronounce the words slowly and carefully, and as many times as you like
- You can mentions words that have similar pronunciation if you know them
If your teacher has included the phonemic script, they will tell you how to use it.
| Useful phrases for discussing pronunciation “V for violin/ B for birthday/ … for…” “You (don’t) have to put your lips together” “It’s a long/ short/ hard/ soft/… sound” “You (don’t) use your voice box” “You have to touch your teeth with your tongue/ touch… with…” “Your mouth should be more open/ rounder/ more…/ …er” |
- If I won the lottery, I would / / give most of the money to charity.
- I have taken a long-distance overnight bus / /, but I would never take one again.
- If I don’t know the way / / to do something, I always ask my boss how to do it.
- If I was offered a job with lots of travel / /, for example an air steward or a salesman, I would really enjoy it.
- If I rode / / a motorbike, my parents would worry about my safety.
- Every time I get a birthday cake, I eat the whole / / thing myself.
- I would read the Da Vinci Code / / if I had more time.
- When I take a plane, I always choose the window seat / /.
- When I have more savings in the bank, I’ll invest some money in major / / companies and some in smaller high tech companies.
- When I next have a holiday, the first / / thing I’ll do is sleep a long time.
Check as a class.
Look at both worksheets and work together to pronounce the words the same or differently.
Do you think any of the sentences above are true for your partner? Read out any which you think might be true and see if they agree.
Student B
For each line below, you have to decide with your partner if the pronunciations of the word you have and the word they have are the same of different. Different words that have the same pronunciation (= homophones) count as the same. Rules
- You can read out the individual words and/ or the whole sentences
- You cannot spell the words out
- You cannot translate the words
- You can pronounce the words slowly and carefully, and as many times as you like
- You can mentions words that have similar pronunciation if you know them
If your teacher has included the phonemic script, they will tell you how to use it.
| Useful phrases for discussing pronunciation “V for violin/ B for birthday/ … for…” “You (don’t) have to put your lips together” “It’s a long/ short/ hard/ soft/… sound” “You (don’t) use your voice box” “You have to touch your teeth with your tongue/ touch… with…” “Your mouth should be more open/ rounder/ more…/ …er” |
- If I buy some flooring for my house, I want it to be made of wood / /.
- If I can choose between a bath / / and a shower, I always have a shower.
- If I didn’t weigh / / myself everyday I would get fatter
- When I get in trouble / / I always speak to my mother about it before anyone else
- If I lived on a main road / /, I wouldn’t be able to sleep because of the noise
- If I have a hole / / in my clothes, I just throw it away and buy something new
- If I had a cordless / / home phone I would lose it around the house all the time
- I always use both sides of a sheet / / of paper because it’s good for the environment.
- Before I buy new furniture, I always measure / / the room carefully.
- If I had learnt how to type faster / / at school, I would’ve done better at university.
Check as a class.
Look at both worksheets and work together to pronounce the words the same or differently.
Do you think any of the sentences above are true for your partner? Tell them which sentences and check.
Read the words below and decide if their pronunciation is the same or different.
- made/ maid / / / /
- food/ hood / / / /
- right/ write / / / /
- sauce/ source / / / /
- fur/ far / / / /
- double/ W / / / /
- weight/ wait / / / /
- be/ bee/ B / / / / / /
- fund/ found / / / /
- there/ their/ they’re / / / /
- lawn/ loan / / / /
- to/ two/ too / / / /
- low/ law / / / /
- knew/ new / / / /
- we’ll/ well / / / /
- flour/ flower / / / /
- C/ she / / / /
- know/ no / / / /
- eye/ I / / / /
- quota/ quarter / / / /
- eight/ ate / / / /
- fare/ fair / / / /
- sent/ cent / / / /
- for/ four / / / /
- by/ buy / / / /
- meet/ meat / / / /
- brake/ break / / / /
- sweet/ suite / / / /
- tyre/ tire / / / /
- bunker/ banker / / / /
Check your answers with a dictionary and write the phonemic symbols in the space given for each word (either the whole word, just the difficult sounds or just the sounds that are different).
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