Ear training for tricky sounds
Minimal pairs trainer
Tell apart the English sounds Vietnamese speakers mix up most, like sheep and ship, bed and bad, see and she. Compare each pair, then test your ear.
Train your ear with English minimal pairs
A minimal pair is two words that differ by one sound, like ship and sheep. Foxalo picks 19 pairs Vietnamese speakers often confuse, in 8 sound groups, with side-by-side audio, mouth-position tips and a 10-question ear test.
How to use it in 3 steps
- Pick a sound group to practise, e.g. /iː/ and /ɪ/.
- Listen to both words, read the mouth tip and repeat them.
- Take the ear test: hear one word and choose which one it was.
Sound groups covered
| Pair | Example | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| /iː/ vs /ɪ/ | sheep vs ship | Saying both with the same length |
| /e/ vs /æ/ | bed vs bad | Not opening the mouth enough for /æ/ |
| /s/ vs /ʃ/ | sea vs she | Saying /ʃ/ as a plain s |
| /θ/ vs /t/, /θ/ vs /s/ | three vs tree | Not putting the tongue between the teeth |
| /v/ vs /b/, /p/ vs /b/ | vest vs best | Mixing lip-teeth and two-lip sounds |
| /l/ vs /r/ | light vs right | Not curling the tongue for /r/ |
Frequently asked questions
What is a minimal pair?
Two words that differ by exactly one sound, like ship and sheep. Hearing that difference is the first step to saying it.
Why do Vietnamese speakers mix these up?
Vietnamese does not contrast long and short vowels and has no /θ/, so the ear is not yet tuned to split them.
What is in the ear test?
10 random questions: hear one word and pick it from the pair, with your score and best streak at the end.
Can I use the keyboard?
Yes. Space replays, 1 and 2 pick an answer, Enter moves on, and ? lists the shortcuts.
Is it free?
Yes, no sign-in needed.