Spanish has several pairs and groups of words that sound nearly identical. In AQA listening, context is your only tool to distinguish them.
| Heard sound | Word 1 | Meaning | Word 2 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /pero/ | pero | but | perro | dog |
| /polo/ | polo | polo / ice lolly | pollo | chicken |
| /ˈbino/ | vino | wine / he came | vine | I came |
| /ˈaj/ | hay | there is / there are | ahí | there (over there — /aˈi/ 2 syllables) |
| /poɾˈke/ | porque | because | por qué | why? |
This introduction covers Sonidos parecidos — Similar Sounds within Similar sound discrimination for GCSE Spanish. Revise Similar sound discrimination in Listening Traps for GCSE Spanish with 16 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Similar sound discrimination
Listen to the recording. What does the speaker have?
Quick recall flashcards
vino vs vine — what does each mean?
vino = wine OR he/she came (3rd person preterite of venir). vine = I came (1st person preterite of venir). These sound different (vino/vine), but both are preterite forms. Context + the subject pronoun are your clues.
cien vs ciento — when do you use each?
cien = exactly 100, used alone or directly before a noun: cien euros, cien alumnos. ciento = 100 in compound numbers: ciento dos (102), ciento diez (110). Never 'cien dos' — that's wrong.