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Practice

Minimal Pairs

80 word pairs grouped into 31 phoneme contrasts. Hear both words, then say them yourself.

/ɪ/ vs /iː/ (9 pairs)

  • Short lax vowel versus long tense vowel.

  • Beat needs a longer, higher tongue position.

  • Leave is longer and tenser.

  • Seat is longer and tenser.

  • Feel the tongue rise for heat.

  • Leap ends with a clear p.

  • Keep the final l short.

  • A common pair in shops.

  • Wheel needs rounded lips first.

/æ/ vs /e/ (8 pairs)

  • Open the jaw wider for bat.

  • Same pairing in a different context.

  • Keep the final /d/ crisp.

  • Open the jaw wider for pat.

  • Said is irregular in spelling.

  • Head is shorter and higher.

  • Watch the initial consonant too.

  • Fen is a marsh.

/æ/ vs /ʌ/ (6 pairs)

  • Cut is central and short.

  • Do not round the lips.

  • Dumb ends silently.

  • Past versus participle.

  • The k is silent in ankle.

  • Same verb, two tenses.

/ʊ/ vs /uː/ (1 pairs)

  • Round the lips more for fool.

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The A-B-A-B button plays the contrast twice so you can hear the difference before you copy it. Recording practice lives on the pronunciation page.