Pairs of English words that are easily confused because of their pronunciation

Bent /bent/ and vent /vent/

If it is a noun, “bent” is a preference, a tendency, an inclination. And when in the past and second participle form of the verb “bend”, “bent” means to bend something.

“Vent” is the vent, venting, figuratively venting.

The only difference between the pronunciation of these two words is the sound /b/ and /v/. A fun way to practice: when saying “bent,” lower your voice and let your lips touch. As for “vent”, you use your teeth to pinch your lower lip. Then you will be able to distinguish these two words.

Kneel /niːl/ and near /nɪə(r)/ (British-British), /nɪr/ (British-American)

“Kneel” is the verb for “knee”. And “near” means near.

Since the /k/ in “kneel” is silent, these two words both begin with /n/. The rest of the words, while not exactly the same, can still confuse you. To tell them apart, think of the pronunciations of “eel” (eel) and “ear” (ear).

Bowling /ˈbəʊlɪŋ/ and boring /ˈbɔːrɪŋ/

While “bowling” is the name of a sport, “boring” is boring. In many contexts, if spoken quickly, these two words can sound similar because except for the /l/ and /r/ sounds, the other parts are pronounced similarly.

Sheer /ʃɪr/ and cheers /tʃɪr/

The word “sheer” is used to emphasize an adjective. For example “The his speech was sheer nonsense” (His speech is completely meaningless). In addition, “sheer” is also used to refer to a thin, see-through fabric.

And “cheer” is a verb, meaning to cheer someone up with activities that create a happy atmosphere.

In pronunciation, “cheer” has an additional /t/ sound at the beginning, the rest is identical to “sheer”.

Arrive /əˈraɪv/ and alive /əˈlaɪv/

“Arrive” is a verb, which means arriveand “alive” is an adjective, meaning living. Looking at the phonetic transcription, you can see the two sounds /r/ and /l/ (similar to “bowling” and “boring” is the only way you can tell the two apart.

Tie /taɪ/ and lie /laɪ/

The difference between “tie” and “lie” lies in the first letter: the two sounds /t/ and /l/.

Thanh Hang (According to FluentU)