Pronunciation Pairs
Minimal Pairs are pairs of words which differ by just one sound, such as Ship and Sheep. Read these pairs aloud and make the differences clear.
Two cats in a gun barrel aboard HMS Hawkins.
Photo by the Royal Navy, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Introduction
Read out aloud each pair of words below, making the difference in pronunciation clear but not over-exaggerated. Can you think of more pairs of words that differ in the same way?
A small number of these pairs are not strictly minimal pairs. Some words are personal names. Accent may affect the pairs.
Group A
IPA: [p], [b], [f] and [v]
1. Sip. Zip.
2. Bunch. Punch.
3. Flatter. Platter.
4. Fairy. Vary.
5. Flush. Blush.
Peas,
Bees.
Pear,
Bear.
Group B
IPA: [ʌ] vs [əʊ]
1. Come. Comb.
2. Fun. Phone.
3. None. Known.
4. Run. Roan.
5. Hum. Home.
Ton,
Tone.
Sun,
Sown.
Group C
IPA: [s] and [z]
1. Pace. Pays.
2. Bruce. Bruise.
3. Sack. Zach.
4. Sip. Zip.
5. Face. Phase.
Peace,
Peas.
Price,
Prize.
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