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
A
B
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
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
4
(a sinking) boat
bought (from a department store)
5
bond (trader)
(big) boned
6
(winter) bonus
(staff) bonuses
7
boom (in demand)
boon (for homeowners)
8
(bank) branch
(Sunday) brunch
9
business (meeting)
busyness (at the weekend)
10
(walking) canes
(capital) gains
11
cash (and carry)
catch (up with)
12
(twenty five) cents
(sixth) sense
13
chairs (the meeting)
shares (in Microsoft)
14
cheap (prices)
(black) sheep
15
(a steep) climb
(a serious) crime
16
co-(owner)
core (business)
17
cooperation (between departments)
corporation (tax)
18
(market) crash
crush (the can before recycling)
19
credit (card)
(leading) creditor
20
(some debt) crises
(a debt) crisis
21
cut (costs)
cat (or dog)
22
data (gathering)
date (when you are free)
23
debit (card)
(government) debt
24
(baby) doll
dollar (trade)
25
fanned (with folded paper)
(investment) fund
26
(fixed) fee
he (or she)
27
fifth (out of ten)
(four) fifths
28
file (for bankruptcy)
vile (character)
29
fire (wrongdoers)
hire (car)
30
fiscal (year)
physical (exercise)
31
force (to be reckoned with)
fourth (quarter)
32
flawed (plan)
fraud (prevention)
33
folding (paper)
holding (company)
34
(government) grant
grunt (of effort)
35
gross (profit)
grows (exponentially)
36
gross (or net)
(organic) growth
37
half (of the year)
halve (the headcount)
38
(blonde) hair
heir (to the fortune)
39
late (payment)
(exchange) rate
40
law (and order)
(all-time) low
41
(green) lawn
(home) loan
42
lends (to SMEs)
(camera) lens
43
loose (regulations)
lose (half of your investment)
44
merge (with a competitor)
merger(s and acquisitions)
45
(on) par
per (share)
46
pay (for)
payee (and payer)
47
(reach a) peak
pick (the best supplier)
48
pray (at a shrine)
pre(-tax)
49
price (rises)
prize (for sales rep of the year)
50
(third) quarter
(import) quota
51
race (to the top)
(pay) raise
52
(police) raid
(inflation) rate
53
ray (of sunlight)
re-(structuring)
54
(fried) rice
rise (in value)
55
(summer) sale
sell (for a discount)
56
(tax) scam
scum (on the pond)
57
(comfortable) seat
seed (funding)
58
six (billion)
sixth (of September)
59
slash (taxes)
slush (on the street)
60
(share prices) soar
sew (on a button)
61
(aerobic) sport
(government) support
62
(long) stalk
stock (picking)
63
(real-time) stats
(current) status
64
(corporation) tax
tux (and bowtie)
65
third (from the top)
(two) thirds
66
(international) trade
tread (gently)
67
(leisure) travel
(financial) trouble
68
(Korean) Won
won (the race)
Test each other on the words:
say both things on one line and see if your partner can repeat back the one which is more connected to finance (with the right pronunciation)
say both thing on one line and see if your partner can explain how their pronunciations are different
show your partner one line and see if they can pronounce both words, with a clear difference between them
say the words on one line, in either order, and see if your partner can spell them in the same order
say the words on one line, in either order, and see if your partner can repeat them back in the same order (with the right pronunciations)
say just one word and see if your partner can spell it
say just one word and see if your partner can repeat it back in a suitable context
Financial vocabulary word formation
Write as many different forms of the words below as you can.
bank
buy
unbearable
bondholder
shareholder
climber
corporate
credit
crisis
debt
five
statistical
fiscally
four
fraudster
grow
halve
heirloom
lawyer
lender
lost
merge
payment
risen
sale
scammer
six
stockholder
taxable
three
trader
Look above for ideas, brainstorm more, then compare your extra ideas as a class.
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