Free Compare and Contrast Prompts for Speech Therapy
Build vocabulary, verbal reasoning, and expressive language skills with these free compare and contrast prompts for speech therapy! Designed for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), teachers, and caregivers, these ready-to-use prompts help students identify similarities and differences, understand semantic relationships, and explain their thinking.
Explore familiar comparisons, higher-level concepts, and real-life situations to strengthen language skills and support everyday decision-making. Especially useful for middle and high school students.
How to Use
Choose a comparison pair that matches your students’ language goals. Ask students to identify similarities and differences using features, functions, categories, or meanings. For functional comparisons, have students evaluate the options, consider advantages and disadvantages, and explain which choice best fits the situation.
Browse Activities:
Familiar Comparisons | Higher-Level Comparisons | Functional Comparisons & Decision-Making
Compare & Contrast Pairs
Familiar Comparisons: Concrete items and everyday concepts
- Backpack / Suitcase
- Printed Assignment/ Online Assignment
- Notebook / Binder
- Athletic Shoes / Dress Shoes
- Raincoat / Umbrella
- Phone Charger / Portable Power Bank
- Microwave / Oven
- Headphones / Earbuds
- Laptop / Tablet
- Printed Book / E-Book
- School Bus / Public Bus
- Car / Bicycle
- Library / Bookstore
- Grocery Store / Convenience Store
- Cafeteria / Restaurant
- Cash / Debit Card
- Text Message / Email
- Phone Call / Video Call
- Homework / Classwork
- Sports Practice / Game
Higher-Level Comparisons: Abstract vocabulary and semantic relationships
- Need / Want
- Fact / Opinion
- Guess / Prediction
- Goal / Plan
- Mistake / Accident
- Rule / Law
- Fairness / Equality
- Intention / Impact
- Summary / Retell
- Persuade / Inform
- Friend / Acquaintance
- Apology / Excuse
- Cooperation / Compromise
- Competition / Collaboration
- Empathy / Sympathy
- Assertiveness / Aggression
- Teasing / Bullying
- Privacy / Secrecy
- Confidence / Arrogance
- Patience / Perseverance
Functional Comparisons & Decision-Making
Compare everyday options and use similarities and differences to make informed decisions.
For each situation:
Compare: How are the options alike and different?
Evaluate: What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Decide: Which option would you choose, and why?
- Keeping Track of Assignments: Paper planner vs. phone calendar
- Asking a Teacher for Help: Talking after class vs. sending an email
- Studying for a Test: Flashcards vs. practice quizzes
- Working on a Group Project: Meeting in person vs. collaborating online
- Buying School Supplies: Shopping in a store vs. ordering online
- Getting to an Activity: Taking public transportation vs. getting a ride
- School Lunch: Packing lunch vs. buying lunch
- Resolving a Misunderstanding: Talking in person vs. sending a message
- Sharing Photos with Friends: Group chat vs. private message
- Choosing an Extracurricular Activity: School club vs. community program
- Shopping on a Budget: Buying new vs. buying secondhand
- Choosing a Part-Time Job Schedule: Weekday shifts vs. weekend shifts
Looking for more vocabulary practice? Explore our Free Vocabulary & Word Retrieval Activities to practice category naming, semantic organization, and functional list-making.
From the blog: Teaching Inferencing in Speech Therapy | Teaching Complex Sentences in Speech Therapy | Mixed-Group Speech Therapy Activities