Minimal pair · Mexican Spanish; starter contrasts also occur widely elsewhere
Spanish /a/ vs /i//a/ versus /i/
Learn to hear the difference between a and i in Spanish words.
Practice these sounds/a/
The a category
Listen for the target sound in each word.
As inmasa
/i/
A close, unrounded vowel
The tongue is high and toward the front. Listen to the vowel as one complete sound.
As inmisa
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Learn to hear the difference between a and i in Spanish words.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordmasa
/ˈmasa/doughpala
/ˈpala/shovelcasa
/ˈkasa/housecama
/ˈkama/bedpato
/ˈpato/duckmano
/ˈmano/handpalo
/ˈpalo/stickmisa
/ˈmisa/Mass, a religious servicepila
/ˈpila/batteryrima
/ˈrima/rhymelima
/ˈlima/file (tool)piso
/ˈpiso/floorpino
/ˈpino/pine treetipo
/ˈtipo/type or kind14 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.