CHOOSE A SOUND

British English contrasts.

Start with a difference you find hard to hear. Words stay hidden during practice until you choose to show them.

Standard Southern British22 sound contrasts

Browse the examples below, then listen to A and B and match their target sound in a different word, X.

/ɔː//ɒ/

portpot

Lessons

In the selected non-rhotic British forms, compare /ɔː/ with /ɒ/ before final /t/. X uses a different first consonant while retaining one of these vowel categories.

/ɪ//iː/

shipsheep

Lessons

A separately dictionary-checked British reference core. Category support comes from the RP/SSBE descriptive tradition; this particular pack is not a new L2 training study.

/ɹ//l/

rightlight

Lessons

Keep the rhotic approximant and lateral separate in word-initial position. British road/load retain the GOAT vowel /əʊ/. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/θ//s/

thinsin

Lessons

Five linked pairs contrast dental and alveolar frication without changing another phoneme. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/θ//f/

thinfin

Lessons

Separate dental and labiodental frication using ordinary initial-singleton words; the pool does not pretend that every example has a minimal partner. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ð//d/

theyday

Lessons

Contrast a voiced dental fricative with an alveolar stop in clear citation forms. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/f//v/

fanvan

Lessons

Keep the two labiodental fricatives distinct. Vat is the ordinary container noun, not the tax abbreviation. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/v//w/

vinewine

Lessons

Contrast labiodental frication with the rounded approximant using initial singleton onsets. Vet is the everyday animal-doctor noun. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/p//b/

peabee

Lessons

Train the initial stop contrast in stressed onsets, where aspiration is an important cue alongside other timing properties. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/t//d/

tipdip

Lessons

Keep initial alveolar stops separate without importing American intervocalic flapping into the exercise. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/k//ɡ/

coatgoat

Lessons

Use British GOAT and non-rhotic NURSE vowels in otherwise matched velar-stop pairs. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ʃ//s/

shacksack

Lessons

Contrast postalveolar and alveolar frication across ordinary initial-singleton words. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ʃ//tʃ/

shopchop

Lessons

Distinguish sustained frication from an affricate onset using five exact broad-phoneme pairs. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/s//z/

sipzip

Lessons

Separate the two alveolar fricatives. Sum is the arithmetic total, and seal is the animal noun. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/n//ŋ/

kinking

Lessons

Five KIT-vowel pairs distinguish final alveolar and velar nasals without adding a final /ɡ/. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ʊ//ʌ/

putputt

Lessons

Maintain the Southern English FOOT–STRUT distinction using stressed vowels before voiceless stops. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ʊ//uː/

fullfool

Lessons

Compare the two vowel categories in a five-per-side pre-obstruent core. The familiar pre-/l/ pairs stay in a separate smaller context. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/æ//ɛ/

batbet

Lessons

Five matched pairs distinguish TRAP and DRESS while retaining British dictionary vowel labels. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ɪ//ɛ/

bitbet

Lessons

Five matched closed-syllable pairs contrast KIT and DRESS without American accent substitutions. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ʌ//ɒ/

rutrot

Lessons

Separate STRUT from the rounded British LOT category in five matched pairs. This is not the American STRUT–LOT transcription /ʌ–ɑ/. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ɛ//ʌ/

penpun

Lessons

Five matched pairs separate DRESS and STRUT in strong, stressed forms. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

/ð//z/

breathebreeze

Lessons

Distinguish final dental and alveolar fricatives after a long vowel or diphthong. A Southern British reference bank, not a description of every UK accent. These are editorial word pools supported by pronunciation references, not recovered experimental stimulus lists.

A CLOSER LISTEN

What is a
minimal pair?

Two words form a minimal pair when one sound difference changes the word. Keeping the surrounding sounds the same gives you a specific difference to listen for.

Some lessons focus on tone or word stress instead of a single consonant or vowel. We label those separately, so you know what each exercise is testing.

In the exercise, listen to A and B, then a different word X. Choose the reference that shares the target sound, tone, stress or consonant feature. Words and IPA stay hidden unless you enable text hints, including after answering; you can replay the audio whenever you need it.

Read about the learning approach
🌐 English