Past Tense Sound Pairs — A2 English Pronunciation Practice Test
About this practice test
Practise A2 English pronunciation: compare the /t/, /d/ and /ɪd/ sounds of regular past-tense endings, with a focus on past tense sound pairs.
What you’ll practice
Hear the difference
Recognise vowel and consonant contrasts in clear recordings.
Stress and rhythm
Identify strong syllables and emphasized words.
Listen and review
Replay each recording and learn from answer explanations.
What to expect:
5 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- A2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Single choice
How to approach this practice
Read the instructions and work through the questions before opening the answers.
Recording 1
Read the transcript
First word: asked. Second word: looked.
Recording 2
Read the transcript
First word: played. Second word: walked.
Recording 3
Read the transcript
First word: started. Second word: waited.
Recording 4
Read the transcript
First word: called. Second word: washed.
Recording 5
Read the transcript
First word: opened. Second word: closed.
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their -ed ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Same
The words are asked and looked. Both -ed endings are pronounced /t/.
Same: The words are asked and looked. Both -ed endings are pronounced /t/.
Different: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
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Question 2 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their -ed ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Different
The words are played and walked. Played ends in /d/, while walked ends in /t/.
Same: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
Different: The words are played and walked. Played ends in /d/, while walked ends in /t/.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their -ed ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Same
The words are started and waited. Both -ed endings are pronounced /ɪd/. Each ending adds an extra syllable.
Same: The words are started and waited. Both -ed endings are pronounced /ɪd/. Each ending adds an extra syllable.
Different: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
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Question 4 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their -ed ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Different
The words are called and washed. Called ends in /d/, while washed ends in /t/.
Same: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
Different: The words are called and washed. Called ends in /d/, while washed ends in /t/.
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Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their -ed ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Same
The words are opened and closed. Both -ed endings are pronounced /d/.
Same: The words are opened and closed. Both -ed endings are pronounced /d/.
Different: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
What to review next
Review the feedback and revisit the topics you found difficult before trying again.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.