Gerund Word Explorer

Sounds & Spelling

Sound pairs

Some pairs of words differ by just one sound. Practising them makes your speech clearer.

1 Observe

Say each pair slowly. Can you hear and feel the difference?

  • Ship / Sheep Ship: short i. Sheep: long ee, held a little longer.
  • Full / Fool Full: short oo, as in 'book'. Fool: long oo, as in 'moon'.
  • Vest / West Vest: top teeth touch the lower lip. West: round lips, no teeth.
  • Fill / Feel Fill: short i. Feel: long ee.

2 Discover

These are sound pairs. Only one sound changes, but the meaning changes completely. For v, gently touch your top teeth to your lower lip. For w, make your lips round like a small O. For sheep, smile a little and hold the ee sound longer.

3 Apply

Sana swims in the ____ every Sunday in Pune.

In the evening, the sun sets in the ____.

Which word has the long ee sound?

4 Create

Pick one sound pair. Write a sentence that uses both words.

This box is just for you. Nothing you write here is saved or sent.

Example: The sheep stood still while the ship sailed past the village.

5 Explore

Open the sound-pair cards. Say each pair aloud and find the one you want to practise most.

Bad or bedNot good. Say: BAD — open your mouth wide, like cat.Sound pairCot or caughtA baby's bed with high sides. Say: KOT — short o.Sound pairDay or theyA period of 24 hours. Say: DAY — tongue behind top teeth.Sound pairFull or foolHolding as much as possible. Say: FUL — short, like book.Sound pairLive or leaveTo have your home somewhere. Say: LIV — short i.Sound pairPan or fanA flat pot for cooking. Say: PAN — lips close, then pop.Sound pairPull or poolTo move something towards you. Say: PUL — short.Sound pairSell or shellTo give something in exchange for money. Say: SEL.Sound pairShip or sheepA large boat. Say: SHIP — short i, quick and relaxed.Sound pairTree or threeA tall plant with a trunk. Say: TREE — tongue behind teeth.Sound pairVest or westA sleeveless undershirt. Say: VEST — top teeth touch lower lip.Sound pairVet or wetAn animal doctor. Say: VET — teeth on lip.Sound pairWork or walkA job or task. Say: WURK — like 'word', mouth relaxed.Sound pairZealous or jealousVery keen and eager. Say: ZEL-us — buzzing z.Sound pairAges 15–20