Plural Sounds around Us — A2 English Pronunciation Practice Test
About this practice test
Practise A2 English pronunciation: compare the /s/, /z/ and /ɪz/ sounds of everyday plural endings, with a focus on plural sounds around us.
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: cats. Second word: maps.
Recording 2
Read the transcript
First word: bags. Second word: cups.
Recording 3
Read the transcript
First word: buses. Second word: boxes.
Recording 4
Read the transcript
First word: dogs. Second word: keys.
Recording 5
Read the transcript
First word: rooms. Second word: dishes.
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Question 1 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their plural ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Same
The words are cats and maps. Both plural endings are pronounced /s/.
Same: The words are cats and maps. Both plural endings are pronounced /s/.
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 plural ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Different
The words are bags and cups. Bags ends in /z/, while cups ends in /s/.
Same: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
Different: The words are bags and cups. Bags ends in /z/, while cups ends in /s/.
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Question 3 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their plural ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Same
The words are buses and boxes. Both plural endings are pronounced /ɪz/. Each ending adds an extra syllable.
Same: The words are buses and boxes. Both plural endings are pronounced /ɪz/. 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 plural ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Same
The words are dogs and keys. Both plural endings are pronounced /z/.
Same: The words are dogs and keys. Both plural endings are pronounced /z/.
Different: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
-
Question 5 · Single choice
Choose one answer.
Listen to the two words. Is their plural ending sound the same or different?
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Same
- Different
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Different
The words are rooms and dishes. Rooms ends in /z/, while dishes ends in /ɪz/. The ending adds an extra syllable in dishes.
Same: Listen again and compare only the target sound named in the question.
Different: The words are rooms and dishes. Rooms ends in /z/, while dishes ends in /ɪz/. The ending adds an extra syllable in dishes.
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.