Minimal Pairs: /s/ & /ʃ/

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Pronunciation Practice

Practice pronunciation with your tutor by reading the following words.

/s/ & /ʃ/

see

Verb

to be aware of something with one's eyes; to watch

Do you want to see a musical tonight?

Can you see me?

I can't see you.

she

Pronoun

ʃi

pronoun for a female person or animal

Is she coming to the movie with us?

sore

Adjective

sɔr

feeling pain in a certain part of the body due to tiredness or illness

Her neck and shoulder are very sore.

I've had a sore throat for three days.

shore

Noun

ʃɔr

the area where land touches a body of water

We stayed at a nice hotel by the shore of a lake.

The couple walked along the shore.

sell

Verb

sɛl

to give something in exchange for money

They sell all kinds of stuff here.

shell

Noun

ʃɛl

the hard covering of some sea animals

I can hear the sound of the sea in this shell.

My daughter likes to collect shells on the beach.

sign

Noun

saɪn

a symbol used to represent something

Red eyes are a sign of lack of sleep.

The sign shows which way to go.

shine

Verb

ʃaɪn

to give out a very bright light

The sun is shining brightly today.

She shined her flashlight at me.

sigh

Verb

saɪ

to let out a deep breath

She sighed, thinking about all the work she had to do.

I hate it when you just sigh and don't say anything.

shy

Adjective

ʃaɪ

nervous or scared around other people

The shy boy hid behind his hands.

He can't hold a conversation with a girl because he's so shy.

sip

Verb

sɪp

to take in little bits of liquid at a time

Tonight we will sip wine and talk all night.

ship

Verb

ʃɪp

to transport goods

Could you ship the item by USPS EMS, if possible?

The boxes are being shipped by truck.

Orders received by 2 pm will be shipped the same day.

same

Adjective

seɪm

used to show that one is referring to a particular thing

My parents have lived in the same house for many years.

We visit the same park every spring.

shame

Noun

ʃeɪm

feeling bad about something one has done or said

His father made him feel shame for cheating at school.

Exercise 2

Sentence Practice

Practice pronunciation with your tutor by reading the following sentences.

She is unable to see without her glasses.
The rower's hands were completely sore by the time they reached the shore.
The young girl sells jewelry made from shells.
The sun was shining in his eyes and he didn't see the "Stop" sign.
The shy boy sighed when he got the answer to the question wrong.
They sipped wine that had been shipped all the way from France.
It’s a shame that we are not going to be taking the same flight.

Exercise 3

Find the Sounds

Select the word that contains the sound listed below. There can be more than one correct answer.

Find: /s/

I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow.

He plays the bass guitar.

Can I please have some more tea?

I watch horror movies sometimes.

Let's stay up all night and wait for the sunrise.

Find: /ʃ/

I'm afraid of using a sharp knife because I may cut my fingers.

The show was amazing.

He is a true professional.

Please have some patience.

Exercise 4

Tongue Twisters

Practice pronunciation with your tutor by reading the following tongue twister(s). Read each tongue twister slowly at first, then try reading it faster.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

The shells she sells are surely seashells.

So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I’m sure she sells seashore shells.