Minimal Pairs

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

/eɪ/ /aɪ/

fail-file

main-mine

lake-like

late-light

/eɪ/ /ɔɪ/

bail-boil

grain-groin

paint-point

ail-oil

/əʊ/ /aʊ/

whole-howl

Rose-rouse

thought-thou

load-loud

/ʊə/ /ɪə/

poor-pier

Tour-tier

sure-sheer

moor-mere