What are Minimal Pairs? With Examples

@jacs.ny.english

Pin vs Bin, Writer vs Rider, these are examples of minimal pairs. Let’s practice together! #businessenglish #businesstutor #englishpronunciation #americanenglish #americanenglishpronunciation #Englishtutor #englishlearning #englishtips #englishgrammar #grammarlesson #grammarteacher #esl #Հայաստան #английскийязык #speakenglish #Inglés #ingles

♬ original sound – Jacs.NY.English

Have you ever heard someone say “tank you” when they clearly meant “thank you”? The words tank and thank are an example of minimal pairs. Minimal pairs are two words that vary by one sound. This has nothing to do with spelling, they may be spelled completely different but sound very similar.

Why is it important to understand minimal pairs?

Understanding minimal pairs can improve your pronunciation and comprehension. Words that sound similar to each other can be especially challenging to non native English speakers. English learners are often listening to native speakers to learn how to speak English. When words are confused it can throw off the meaning of what is being said. For example, they cheered🎉 the teacher or they jeered👎🏾 the teacher. Cheer and jeer sound very similar but have quite different meanings which will change the whole sentence. By practicing minimal pairs, learners can develop their ability to hear and produce these sounds accurately, which can lead to more effective communication.

Understanding minimal pairs is also very important when it comes to writing. You may be able to say the wrong word without it being detected while speaking but when it comes to writing it will be obvious if you choose the wrong one. To improve your skills, you can practice e-mail writing, letter writing and medical writing with one of our tutors.

Examples of Minimal Pairs

TH v. T

R v. L

E v. I

P v. B

Here are some classic tongue twisters to practice your pronunciation:

Did you learn something new? Keep practicing your pronunciation with a tutor today!