• Author / Uploaded
• José Ignacio Yánez

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Minimal Pairs Minimal pairs are words that vary by only a single sound, usually meaning sounds that students often get confused by, like the "th" and "t" in "thin" and "tin".

Vowel Sounds 

Minimal Pairs /ɪ/ and /i:/ (sit and seat)

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Minimal Pairs /f/ and /θ/ (free and three)

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Minimal Pairs /e/ and /ɪ/ (desk and disk)

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Minimal Pairs /s/ and /θ/ (sing and thing)

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Minimal Pairs /e/ and /eɪ/ (wet and wait)

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Minimal Pairs /ð/ and /z/ (with and whizz)

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Minimal Pairs /æ/ and /ʌ/ (bat and but)

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Minimal Pairs /ʤ/ and /z/ (page and pays)

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Minimal Pairs /əʊ/ and /ɔ:/ (so and saw)

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Minimal Pairs /d/ and /ʤ/ (bad and badge)

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Minimal Pairs /ɒ/ and /əʊ/ (not and note)

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Minimal Pairs /æ/ and /e/ (bad and bed)

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Minimal Pairs /ɑ:/ and /ɜ:/ (fast and first)

Consonant Sounds 

Minimal Pairs /b/ and /v/ (berry and very)

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Minimal Pairs /b/ and /p/ (buy and pie)

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Minimal Pairs /n/ and /ŋ/ (thin and thing)

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Minimal Pairs /l/ and /r/ (alive and arrive)

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Minimal Pairs /ʧ/ and /t/ (catch and cat)

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Minimal Pairs /s/ and /ʃ/ (sea and she)

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Minimal Pairs /f/ and /v/ (fan and van)

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Minimal Pairs /f/ and /h/ (fat and hat)

Initial Consonant Sounds 

Minimal Pairs initial /f/ and /p/ (fast and past)

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Minimal Pairs initial /k/ and /g/ (came and game)

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Minimal Pairs initial /t/ and /d/ (two and do)

Final Consonant Sounds 

Minimal Pairs final /k/ and /g/ (back and bag)

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Minimal Pairs final /m/ and /n/ (am and an)

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Minimal Pairs final /t/ and /d/ (hat and had)