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Minimal pairs

By Will SalisburyUpdated

Minimal pairs are two words that differ by only one sound, such as ship and sheep, or light and right. Practising them trains your ear to hear small differences and your mouth to make them, so listeners stop mixing up your words.

1 · Read the problems2 · One lesson a day3 · Review your mistakes4 · Go round again

1 · Pronunciation

Hear it, see it, say it

IELTS tip. In the Speaking test, the person assessing you needs to understand your words without effort. If a pair such as light and right or ship and sheep is a problem for you, a mistake can change your meaning, so practise those pairs before the test. In the Listening test, hearing the difference between similar words helps you avoid wrong answers.

How to make it

  1. For sheep, spread your lips a little, raise the front of your tongue high and hold the vowel for two counts.
  2. For ship, relax your lips and tongue a little lower, and make the vowel short and quick.
  3. Say the pair three times: long, short, long. Feel the tongue and jaw move, not just the length.

ship, sheep, light, right, berry, very, bed, bad

Quick answers

What is a minimal pair in simple words?

It is two words that sound the same except for one sound, such as ship and sheep. The one sound is enough to change the meaning.

How many minimal pairs should I practise?

Choose a small group that matches your own problem sounds and return to them often. A few pairs practised well are more useful than a long list done once.

Do minimal pairs help with listening too?

Yes. Training your ear on small differences helps you hear words correctly in conversation and in the Listening test, not only say them.

Are minimal pairs only about vowels?

No. Pairs can differ in a vowel, a consonant at the start, or a consonant at the end. Light and right, bed and bad, and cap and cab are all minimal pairs.

Read the full lesson: Minimal pairs