Minimal Pairs

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Minimal Pairs

Minimal pairs are pairs of words which differ in a single sound.They serve as a drill for

practising sounds.

Minimal pairs involving consonant sounds:

/p//b/

pin-bin pear-bear pan-ban pail-bail
nip-bib tap-tab mop-mob lap-lab

/t//d/

tin-din tear-dare tall-doll ten-den
bat-bad seat-seed let-led tight-tide

/k//g/

key-ghee cot-got come-gum kill-gill
luck-lug lock-log dock-dog wick-wig

/f//v

fan-van fail-veil fast-vast file-vile
leaf-leave life-live safe-save shelf-shelve

/v//w/

VOW-WOW vet-wet vile-while viper-wiper

/θ/ /ð/

Teeth-teethe

/s/ /z/

sip-zip sue-zoo sink-zinc seal-zeal
bus-buzz price-prize lace-laze dose-doze

/s//ʃ/

sip-ship so-show same-shame sin-shin
puss-push sass-lash mess-mesh lease-leash

/ʧ//d3/

char-jar choose-jews choke-joke
etch-edge batch-badge Lunch-lunge

/z/ /ʃ/

zip-ship zoo-shoe
was-wash whiz-wish

Minimal pairs involving vowel sounds:

/I/ /i:/

sit-seat bit-beat lick-leak fill-fel

/e/ /æ/

met-mat led-lad men-man shell-shall

/ʊ//u:/

full-fool pull-pool soot-suit

/ɔ//ɔ:/

cot-caught not-nought tot-taught

/æ//a:/

pat-part mat-mart cat-cart

/ɪ//e/

pin-pen bid-bed bill-bell chick-check

/æ/ /ɜ:/

Fan - fern had-heard bad-bird jam-germ

e1/a1

fail-file main-mine lake-like late-light

e1/c1

bail-boil grain-groin paint-point ail-oil

au/au

whole-howl Rose-rouse thought-thou load-loud

/ ue/ie

poor-pier Tour-tier sure-sheer moor-mere