Sound Contrast: /s/ vs. /θ/

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Listen to the difference between the consonant sounds (/s/ vs. /θ/) in the following pairs of words.

  • face face | faith faith
  • mass mass | math math
  • mouse mouse | mouth mouth
  • pass pass | path path
  • sank sank | thank thank
  • saw saw | thaw thaw
  • sick sick | thick thick
  • sing sing | thing thing
  • sink sink | think think
  • some some | thumb thumb
  • tense tense | tenth tenth

Depending on your native language distinguishing the difference can be very easy or very difficult.

Test your ability to hear the difference between /s/ and /θ/.

Instructions: listen to the word and then pick the best match.

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