Financial English minimal pairs
with financial vocabulary word formation practice
Listen to your teacher or partner say something from one box below, think about how they pronounced it, and decide if they are saying the thing in column A or the thing in column B. If you aren’t sure, you can ask which row below, ask for the word in context and/ or ask how the other word on the same line is pronounced.
When your teacher tells you to, test other people in the same way. If your partner asks for example sentences, your teacher will tell you if you can use the example contexts below, or if you should make up your own contexts.
When your teacher stops you, ask about any words below which you are not sure of the meaning of, can’t pronounce differently, can’t imagine contexts for, etc, working together to show how they are pronounced differently and to think of other suitable example sentences each time.
Underline the example or examples on each line that are most connected to finance.
Without example contexts version
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|
A
|
B
|
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1
|
banker
|
bunker
|
|
2
|
bay
|
buy
|
|
3
|
bear
|
beer
|
|
4
|
boat
|
bought
|
|
5
|
bond
|
boned
|
|
6
|
bonus
|
bonuses
|
|
7
|
boom
|
boon
|
|
8
|
branch
|
brunch
|
|
9
|
business
|
busyness
|
|
10
|
canes
|
gains
|
|
11
|
cash
|
catch
|
|
12
|
cents
|
sense
|
|
13
|
chairs
|
shares
|
|
14
|
cheap
|
sheep
|
|
15
|
climb
|
crime
|
|
16
|
co-
|
core
|
|
17
|
cooperation
|
corporation
|
|
18
|
crash
|
crush
|
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19
|
credit
|
creditor
|
|
20
|
crises
|
crisis
|
|
21
|
cut
|
cat
|
|
22
|
data
|
date
|
|
23
|
debit
|
debt
|
|
24
|
doll
|
dollar
|
|
25
|
fanned
|
fund
|
|
26
|
fee
|
he
|
|
27
|
fifth
|
fifths
|
|
28
|
file
|
vile
|
|
29
|
fire
|
hire
|
|
30
|
fiscal
|
physical
|
|
31
|
force
|
fourth
|
|
32
|
flawed
|
fraud
|
|
33
|
folding
|
holding
|
|
34
|
grant
|
grunt
|
|
35
|
gross
|
grows
|
|
36
|
gross
|
growth
|
|
37
|
half
|
halve
|
|
38
|
hair
|
heir
|
|
39
|
late
|
rate
|
|
40
|
law
|
low
|
|
41
|
lawn
|
loan
|
|
42
|
lends
|
lens
|
|
43
|
loose
|
lose
|
|
44
|
merge
|
merger
|
|
45
|
par
|
per
|
|
46
|
pay
|
payee
|
|
47
|
peak
|
pick
|
|
48
|
pray
|
pre-
|
|
49
|
price
|
prize
|
|
50
|
quarter
|
quota
|
|
51
|
race
|
raise
|
|
52
|
raid
|
rate
|
|
53
|
ray
|
re-
|
|
54
|
rice
|
rise
|
|
55
|
sale
|
sell
|
|
56
|
scam
|
scum
|
|
57
|
seat
|
seed
|
|
58
|
six
|
sixth
|
|
59
|
slash
|
slush
|
|
60
|
soar
|
sew
|
|
61
|
sport
|
support
|
|
62
|
stalk
|
stock
|
|
63
|
stats
|
status
|
|
64
|
tax
|
tux
|
|
65
|
third
|
thirds
|
|
66
|
trade
|
tread
|
|
67
|
travel
|
trouble
|
|
68
|
Won
|
won
|
With example contexts version
|
|
A
|
B
|
|
1
|
(merchant) banker
|
(nuclear) bunker
|
|
2
|
bay (cruise)
|
buy (and sell)
|
|
3
|
bear (market)
|
(pint of) beer
|
