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Pronunciation – Word Groups

200 Common Minimal Pairs in English

The term minimal pair describes two words that have the same sounds apart from one sound

The different sound can be a vowel sound (middle) or a consonant sound in the initial (first), middle, or final
position:

Different Vowel Different Initial Different Middle Different Final

Sound (Middle) Consonant Sound: Consonant Sound: Consonant Sound:
bald bold baby maybe Adam Alan boom boot
ball bowl bean mean alive arrive cap cash
boat bite beat heat baker bather card cars
cane keen bed head Benny berry cared cares
cap cup bees knees bobble bottle cheap cheat
cheers cheese bell well body bossy close clothes
crate Crete bend mend boogie booty drape drip
crime chrome boat coat carbon Carmen fad fed
curse course book look colour cutter gate gave
dead did bull wool cycle sidle guild guilt
deep dip cat hat darling darning ham have
dig dog clock flock decree degree home hone
fail fall coin join eaten even juice jute
flag flog couple supple feature feeler knife nice
flight float crack track feeding feeling large laugh
gate goat curls girls hammer hanger light like
get got daily Haley heady heavy load loaf
guess goose dear peer healing heating made make
hat hate drone prone hobby hockey married marries
heat heart face base ladder lacquer might mile
height hit fail tale leather letter mouse mouth
jam gem fan man loser looser nail name
joke Jack feel real maiden mason nice night
lamp limp feet meat marker martyr north Norse
make mark fill hill meadow mellow page pain
mat met finger linger meaning meeting pain pays
mate might food rude measure mega peas peep
neat note fun done medal metal quick quiz
nice niece games James melon Megan rain raise
nine none gate wait miner miser ran rap
noon nun good wood mugger mother receipt receive
plain plan half laugh mummy money refuse refute
pool pull hard guard nature neighbour rice right
pot pit heard third omen open roof root
queen Quorn heart part pager paper scene seem
rate right heat seat pedal petal side sign
seek soak him gym precedent president slim slip
ship shop king ring rabbit racquet some son
smell smile knife life rabid rapid tail take
soon sun learn burn renew review teach team
spin spine lose zoos Santa sander thick thin
start state lung young shadow shallow touch tongue
take tech made laid shocking shopping tried trite
through throw meant rent silly ciggie vague vain
tide towed meek weak simmer singer verb verse
veal vole moon June simple symbol walk warn
watt wet nose rose soggy sorry wash watch
whale while pillar villa swigging swimming weed wheel
will wool rock wok wader whaler wrote rogue
yarn yawn rose toes wedding webbing yes yet

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