Play the audio and click on the word you think you hear. Each of these pairs of words features a difference in the hardness or softness of one of its consonants. Some questions are much harder than others, and it is normal for learners to struggle with hearing these subtle differences in sound! Enjoy the challenge and experiment with ways of thinking about and reproducing what you hear. Translations of the tests words are found at the bottom of the page.
1 Мат (curse words) Мят (wrinkled)
2 Мят (wrinkled) Мять (to wrinkle)
3 Лук (onion) Люк (hatch)
4 Был (was) Бил (past tense to beat)
5 Сок (juice) Сёк (past tense to thrash)
6 Топ (top) Топь (marsh)
7 Галка (checkmark) Галька (gravel)
8 Банка (jar) Банька (little bath)
9 Жар (heat) Жарь (imperative to fry)