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: [t] vs [s] [ʃ]
1. Hit. Hiss.
2. Mat. Mash.
3. Rat. Rash.
4. Spate. Space.
5. Spite. Spice.
More words
Group B
IPA: [ɛ] vs [eɪ]
1. Shed. Shade.
2. Get. Gate.
3. Debt. Date.
4. Wren. Rain.
5. Gel. Jail.
More words
Group C
IPA: [ɪ] vs [aɪ]
1. Did. Died.
2. Bit. Bite.
3. Writ. Write.
4. Wit. White.
5. Knit. Knight.
More words
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