minimal pairs wordlist

HOME SITE MAP START PAGE ABOUT DISCLAIMER

PRIVACY CONTENTS LINKS EMAIL COPYRIGHT

Freebies

Index

...and a few words from Caroline... and others

MINIMAL PAIRS, LISTENING LISTS, AND MORE

for articulation and phonological therapy

When you have looked at the words below (and helped yourself, if you

like!) here are links to a few words from John in Shaftesbury, Dorset,

Freida in Albury, NSW, Australia, and Peter at Idaho State University at

Pocatello. For the budget conscious, Alan, Gillian and Helen at Black

Sheep Press in the North of England have an extensive range of pictures of

minimal word pairs in their photocopy free materials and worksheets.

IN THE FOLLOWING LISTS:

English spelling is used

The feature contrasts reflect Australian English pronunciation

SIWI = syllable initial word initial

SFWF = syllable final word final (see footnote)

MINIMAL PAIRS singletons

Stops vs. Affricates

SIWI

tear - chair

tease - cheese

tin - chin

top - chop

talk - chalk

ticks - chicks

tiled - child

tip - chip

tips - chips

tore - chore

two - chew PICTURES: here

Fricatives vs. Affricates

SIWI

sore - chore

sum - chum

sip - chip

sick - chick

sat - chat

Sue - chew

silly - chilly

soak - choke

suck - chuck

sill - chill

search - church

Stops vs. Fricatives and

Affricates SFWF

rat - rash

Voiced vs. Voiceless Alveolar

Stops SIWI /d/vs. /t/

deer tear

2/23/2011 ...and a few WORDS from Caroline...and …

members.tripod.com/…/wordlists.html 1/14

rat - rash

out - ouch

write - rice

cat - catch

late - lace

hut - hush

mat - match

road - rose

head - hedge

hit - hiss

coat - coachPICTURES: here

deer tear

die tie

din tin

doll toll

door tore

doze toes

dent tent

dead Ted

dim TimPICTURES: here

Voiced vs. Voiceless Affricates

SIWI

jeer cheer

joke choke

jeep cheap

Jane chain

jaw chore

jump chump

jest chest

gin chin

Jess chess

Voiceless Velars

vs. Alveolars SIWI: /k/ vs /t/

car tar

core tore

cape tape

cub tub

cool tool

cap tap

key tea

call tall

corn tornPICTURES: here

Voiceled Velars

vs. Alveolars SIWI: /g/ vs /d/

gaze daze (days)

gig dig

go doe (dough)

game dame

gust dust

gum dumb

gash dash

grip drip

grab drab

groan drone

gate date

got dot

Guy die (dye)

guide diedPICTURES: here

Fricative Contrasts (triplets)

sort fort short

sore four shore

sign fine shine

sell fell shell

seat feet sheetPICTURES: here

Final Consonant Inclusion

tea team

tie tide

hoe hope

play plane

car calf

pea peep

shoe shoot

low loadPICTURES: here


high hide

see seat

shoe shoot

she sheep

cow couch

sore sort

sea seed

say savePICTURES: here


buy bike



buy bike

sew soap

ow! out

bee beach

pie pile

row road

moo move

car cardPICTURES: here

Initial Glottal Inclusion: /h/

"A" hay

"E" he

"I" high

"O" hoe

("U" who - yoo-hoo)

eye high

air hair

old hold

eel heel

art heart

edge hedgePICTURES: here

Initial Fricative Inclusion: /f/

arm farm

eel feel

in fin

air fair

oar four

ace face

eat feet

ill fill

oh foe

ox fox

ale failPICTURES: here

Initial Velar Inclusion: /k/

"R" car

art cart

ache cake

oar core

ape cape

air care

old cold

aim came

ill kill

arm calm

off coughPICTURES: here

Init Consonant Inclusion 'sh'

shower hour

share air

shy eye

shake ache

shape ape

shawl all

shell "L

shout outPICTURES: here

Initial Consonant

Inclusion /s/

seal eel

sell "L"

seat eat

sad add

soak oak

sold old

saw oar

soil oil

sour hourPICTURES: here

Initial Alveolar Inclusion

/t/

in tin

eye tie

ache take

aim tame

air tear

ape tape

old told

art tartPICTURES: here

Initial Consonant

Inclusion

us bus

ape tape

out shout

eye pie

eel peel

Glottal Fric vs. Alveolar

Stop SIWI /h/ vs. /t/

hop top

hall tall

horn torn

high tie

hose toes



eel peel

air chair

ache take

old foldPICTURES: here

hose toes

hair tear

hen ten

hot totPICTURES: here

Glottal vs. Labio-dental Fricative

SIWI: /h/ vs. /f/

hat fat

hit fit

hold fold

hive five

hall fall

horse force

hall fall

heel feel

hole foal

hairy fairyPICTURES: here

Glottal vs. Palato-alveolar

Fricative SIWI

hall shawl

head shed

horn Sean

horn Shawn

harp sharp

hop shop

hook shook

high shy

hut shut

heap sheep

hoe show

hair share

heat sheet

hip shipPICTURES: here

Glottal vs. alveolar Fricative

SIWI: /h/ vs /s/

sauce horse

soup hoop

sold hold

side hide

sit hit

sand hand

suit hoot

sole hole

soap hope

seat heat

sip hip

seal heelPICTURES: here

Liquid vs. Fricative SIWI

/l/ vs /s/

line sign

low sew

lock sock

long song

lick sick

lip sip

lend send

lift sift

lead seed

look sook

Liquids vs. Glides SIWI

/r/ vs. /w/

one run

wig rig

wing ring

wok rock

whale rail

wake rake

weed read

witch rich

wave rave

west rest PICTURES: here

Fricatives vs. Glides SIWI

/f/ vs. /w/

feel wheel

fig wig

fight white

fork walk

fall wall

fish wish

feel wheel

full wool

fail whale

fade wade

Fricatives vs. Glides SIWI

/v/ vs. /w/

vest west

Palato-alveolar Fricative vs.

Affricates SFWF

mash match

dish ditch



vest west

veil whale

vine wine

vet wet

volley Wally

veal wheel

Vic wick

dish ditch

wish witch

wash watch

cash catch

hush hutch

crush crutch

marsh marchPICTURES: here

Palato-alveolar Fricative vs.

Affricates SIWI

shops chops

shoes choose

ships chips

share chair

Shane chain

shin chin

sheep cheep

shock chockPICTURES: here

Liquids vs. Alveolars SIWI:

/l/ vs. /d/

lots dots

log dog

lazy daisy

leap deep

love dove

Nasals vs. Liquids SIWI

/n/ vs. /l/

knead lead

nip lip

night light

name lame

knock lock

neigh lay

no low

nine line

knot lot

nap lap PICTURES: here

Labio-dental Fricatives vs. Stops

SIWI: /f/ vs /d/

file dial

fish dish

fan Dan

four door

five dive

foam dome

fig dig

Alveolar vs. Palato-alveolar

Fricatives SIWI

suit shoot

sock shock

sore shore

sip ship

sack shack

sour shower

seat sheet

Sue shoePICTURES: here

Alveolar vs. Labio-dental

Fricatives SIWI: /s/ vs. /f/

sold fold

sauce force

sort fort

six fix

sit fit

sole foal

cell fell

sole foal

sore fourPICTURES: here

Alveolar vs. Labio-dental

Fricatives SIWI: /s/ vs. /f/

sun fun

seed feed

sound found

seat feet

seal feel

socks fox

/n/ vs. 'sh' SIWI

gnaw shore

knee she

nip ship

nine shine

neat sheet

nut shut

no show



socks fox

saw four

sunny funny

sat fat

sign finePICTURES: here

no show

knock shock

/w/ vs. /l/ SIWI

wok lock

wine line

weed lead

white light

week leek

weigh lay

wet let

wick lick PICTURES: here

/w/ vs. /l/ SIWI

why lie

wake lake

wait late

weep leap

wink link

Wally lollyPICTURES: here

Alveolar vs. Palato-alveolar

Fricatives SIWI

sign shine

sew show

sip ship

saw shore

sock shockPICTURES: here

/n/ vs. /s/

SIWI

gnaw saw

nine sign

nails sails

kneel seal

neat seat

nip sip

knock sock

no sew

/n/ vs. 'ng'

SFWF

Ron wrong

pin Ping

win wing

thin thin

'th' vs. /f/ SIWI

thin fin

thaw four

thought fort

thread Fred

thorn fawn

three free

thirst first

/v/ vs. /b/ SIWI

vase bars

vest best

vat bat

V B (Vee-Bee)

vote boat

van ban

vow bow

very berry

/l/ vs. /j/ SIWI

lawn yawn

Lou you

lap yap

less yes

lucky yucky

luck yuckPICTURES: here

NEAR MINIMAL PAIRS

singleton vs. cluster



/p/ vs. /sp/

pie spy

peach speech

pot spot

pit spit

pin spin

pill spill

/s/ vs. /sl/

leap sleep

lip slip

low slow

/s/ vs. /sk/

sails scales

sip skip

see ski

sore score

/s/ vs. /st/

sick stick

sack stack

seal steal

soup stoop

/t/ vs. /st/ SIWI

take stake

talk stork

tar star

tack stack

top stop

tool stool

tick stick

/t/ vs. /st/ SFWF

beat Beast

Bert burst

wet west

coat coast

goat ghost

wait waist

net nest

pet pest

feet feast

vet vest

/w/ vs. /sw/

wing swing

weep sweep

well swell

wheat sweet

witch switch

/k/ vs. /sk/

key ski

cat scat

car scar

core score

cool school

/n/ vs. /sn/

nail snail

knees sneeze

no snow

nought Snort

nap snap

/m/ vs. /sm/

Mog smog

mash smash

mall small

mile smile

Mac smack

/l/ Clusters

low glow

lip flip

lap clap

loud cloud

lock block

leap sleep

lean clean

lime climb

low blow

love glove

/r/ vs. /tr/

rash trash

ray tray

rim trim

rain train

rack track

Rick trick

/r/ Clusters

root fruit /sk/ vs. /st/



root fruit

rat brat

red bread

rip drip

rain train

row throw

/sk/ vs. /st/

scoop stoop

school stool

scout stout

score store

sky sty

skate state

skill still

scamp stamp

MINIMAL PAIRS voicing contrasts PICTURES: here

/k/ vs. /g/ SIWI

cap gap

gate Kate

game came

gum come

coat goat

coast ghost

cot got

/d/ vs. /t/ SFWF

cord caught

Bert bird

wade wait

wed wet

bad bat

bead beat

write ride

sat sad

sort sword

hid hit

pot pod

feet feed

wrote road

wheat weed

/k/ vs. /g/ SFWF

peck peg

buck bug

pick pig

lock log

back bag

stack stag

tack tag

/p/ vs. /b/ SFWF

cup cub

nip nib

cap cab

lap lab

rope robe

Voicing SFWF

peach beach

town down

fan van

pole bowl

peas bees

buy pie

bear pear

sip zip

pig big

tore door

CLUSTERS SIWI /skr/ SIWI



/skr/ SIWI

scream screen scratch scrub screw

/str/ SIWI

stream string strawberries strum streetlight street strong straight struggle

stretch strict strain stripes

/kr/ SIWI

crash crawl crutches crab cry crayon crane crack crumb cross crew crow

crowd crown

/gr/ SIWI

green grass greet grapes grouch grow Grover great grin grill

/tr/ SIWI

triangle track trash tractor train treasure trick trumpet tree trolley truck trap

trio tray trim trophy

/dr/ SIWI

dream draw drive drum dragon dress drop drill drip drink

/br/ SIWI

Bradley Bruce Brett Brendan Brian bricks brown bronco branch bright

bread broken broom bride branches break breaking Bryony Brenda Briane

Bronnie Brianna

/sp/ SIWI

speech spill spit space spade spark Spice Girls spot sponge spud spoon

spider Spiderman spine spire spy

/st/ SIWI

steam stick stay stairs steps stag star stop stamp stone stork stoop sty

stir stool

/pr/ SIWI

prince princess pram prawn prune pretty proud price prize

/kl/ SIWI

clean Clag clock cloth clog club claw clothes clever close clown cloud

climb

/fl/ SIWI

fleece flea flip flake flame flag flat flash fly flock flute floor float flower

/sm/ SIWI

smell small smart smash smog smudge smoke smile

/sn/ SIWI

snail sneeze snip Sneeches snake snap snooze snow snore snort

Two "Cluster-Word" Lists

Consonant Cluster list

Clusters word final and within word



VOWELS AND VOWEL CONTRASTS PICTURES: here

Vowel Contrasts 'er' vs. 'or'

bored bird / cord curd / Paul pearl / bought Bert / short shirt / torn turn /call

curl / lawn learn /walk work / warm worm / fawn fern / born burn / a bored

bird / a warm worm / a short shirt / a coarse curse

Regarding 'er'! In Australian English /r/ is not pronounced in pearl,

shirt, purse, etc.

pearl shirt purse purr bird burn burst term turn dirt curve girl fern fur third

thirst search serve sir shirt chirp church nurse nerd learn worm squirm

search hurt earth surf

Vowel Contrasts

cub cab / rush rash / cub cab /rush rash / truck track / bud bad / cut cat /

hut hat / mud mad / bug bag / cup cap / fun fan

Vowel Contrasts

duck - deck / bunch - bench / bug - beg / nut - net / money - many / bud -

bed

SINGLETONS SIWI

/p/ SIWI

pea peach peel peep pig pick pill Po pink paint paste pay peck peg pen

pest pet pan park poor pool post purr pie pile Piglet Pooh Percy

/b/ SIWI

bee beach bead bean beat big beak bin bear Barbie Barney Barney bell

'baby bird's balloon' 'baby bird' bed best back bus boot book ball bowl bone

bore bored Bobo bird bike buy bite Big Bird Babar but butt

bad bud beard bead bird bed

/t/ SIWI

teach tease team tent tick tin tip tail Ted tell tack tap top tape toe tie toll

talk torch tear tore tall town tight Tinky Winky Thomas Terence

/d/ SIWI

dig dip dish ditch Dipsy die deck duck doll dark dot desk door dome dirt

dial dice dive

/k/SIWI PICTURES: here

key king kiss cage Ken cake Kate case cab calf cow cash cap car card

corn comb come cool cook coach coast coat

/g/ SIWI PICTURES: here



/g/ SIWI PICTURES: here

goose game gate girl gum goat gold gown go ghost Gordon

/h/ SIWI PICTURES: here and PICTURES: here

he heap 'Rat in a Hat' Henry heat heel hill hip hit hiss hair head hen hand

hat heart hop hot hug hut hoop hush hook hoe hold high hole hose horse

hawk hope horn hide hive Happy

/f/ SIWI PICTURES: here

feast feed feel feet fig fin fit fish fair fall fan fat farm fast fun food foal foot

phone force fork four fern fight file fine fire five Fred

/v/ SIWI

vase vest vet van vat vote voice vine Vegemite 'Vera Violet Vinn'

/s/ SIWI PICTURES: here

seal sit seat sock seed sum sick sun sing suit sail sew same soap sell

soak sack sold sad salt sip sauce sink saw sea sort sword side Sam-I-Am

Celeste

/z/ SIWI

zip zoo zoom Zac zed zebra

'sh' SIWI

she sheep sheet shin ship shake shape shave shed shell shack shut

sharp shock shop shoot shoe shine shawl shore shirt short shout shy

Shawn

'th' SIWI

thief thick thin thing think thank thatch thong thud thumb thump thaw

thought third thirst thigh

'ch' SIWI PICTURES: here

cheep cheek cheese cheer chick chin chip chase chair chest chimp chat

chop chew choose chalk chore child Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang

'J' SIWI PICTURES: here

jeans jeep Jack jar jam jet jug jump juice jelly joke Jeff

/w/ SIWI

week weed weep wheat wheel whip wick wig win wind wing whale waist

wait wake wave weigh web wet well west wag one won wash watch wok

wood wolf walk wall Wilma warm whirl work worm world Wally Waldo

Wanda why wine wipe wire

/j/ SIWI PICTURES: here

year yell yes yak yap yacht yard young yuk yum you yolk yawn Yolanda

/l/ SIWI PICTURES: here

lead leap leaf lick leek lift lean Laa Laa lid lace lame late lay let lamb lap

last lock log love lunch lasso letter ladder look loaf load low long learn little

loud lion lie light line like lime Lulu



loud lion lie light line like lime Lulu

/r/ SIWI PICTURES: here

read rich rig rim Robin Rattie Rat ring rip wrist race rage rail rain rake ray

red rack rock Ron run roof room rope robe rose row Ronald wrong round

rice ride write Rin-Tin-Tin

The Teddies in Bananas in Pyjamas are Amy, Morgan and Lulu. The

Bananas are B1 and B2, and the other main character is The Rat in a Hat.

/m/ SIWI PICTURES: here

me meal mean meet Mickey Minnie milk mail make men man map march

mud moo moon move mouse mice

/n/ SIWI PICTURES: hereknead neat knit nib nip name nail neigh neck nap knock knot none nut

nose gnaw nurse noise knife nice nine

/b/ vs. /t/ and /b/ vs. /d/ CVCs

boat beat bite boot beet beat bat Bert bit bought bait

NO FINAL CONSONANTin Australian English PICTURES: here

pea pay Pooh paw purr pie pow poi Pa

bee bay boo bore burr buy bow boy bar bow

tea two tore tie toy ta toe

"D" day do door die dough

key Kay coo core cur cow coy car

gay goo guy go

four fur far foe

"V" vie vow

sea say Sue sore sir sigh sow soy sew

zoo zee

she shoe shore shy show

he hay who her high how hoe

chew chore

"G" "J" jaw joy jar Joe

me May moo more my Ma

knee neigh gnaw now no

lay Lou law lie low

we way woo war why wow woe

ray roo raw rye Roy row

NO INITIAL CONSONANT

ape

up

ebb

eat

it

eight



eight

out

ought

odd

Orc

add

aid

ache

oak

egg

if

off

ace

ass

"S"

us

ice

eyes

ash

each

itch

ouch

age

edge

urge

aim

"M"

in

on

urn

own

eel

ill

ale

all

owl

oil

ink

end

arm

oldPICTURES: here

BACKWARD CHAINING

"KING-WORDS" (Verbs) PICTURES: heree.g., walking-king-talking-king-making-king- etc

walking talking making looking working taking baking hiking soaking

licking wrecking stacking breaking lurking

BACKWARD CHAINING: "KEY" PICTURES: heree.g., monkey-key-donkey-key-Mickey-key-etc

monkey donkey Mickey lucky duckie hanky Blinkey wonky

MISCELLANEOUS



/ks/ SFWF: Third Person Regular Present Tense

licks walks picks wakes looks breaks soaks talks shakes works makes

checks peeks kicks bakes bucks locks

FOOTNOTESIWI, SFWF, SIWW, etcIn the branch of Clinical Linguistics called clinical phonology, the

abbreviations SIWI, SFWF, SIWW, SFWW, etc are used to describe

where sounds occur in spoken words. SIWI is "syllable initial word initial

position". In the word "ball", /b/ is SIWI. SFWF is "syllable final word final

position". In the word "rub" /b/ is SFWF. SIWW is "syllable initial within

word position". In the word "abound" /b/ is SIWW.

The terms are used to denote how the words are pronounced by an

individual, not the way you spell them, or the way they "should" be

pronounced. So, for example, when you break a word like "innocent" into

syllables with regard to how you might spell it you get inn-o-cent. But

when most speakers of English SAY the word it becomes (roughly!) ih-nu-

sent so that the /n/ is SIWW (not SFWW as it would be if you said in-uh-

sent).

Some speech-language pathologists use these abbreviations when they

look at "phonotactics" (the patterns of vowels and consonants a child can

produce such as CV, VC, CVC, CCV, CCVC, CCVCC, etc) in detail, as

part of a phonological analysis. The information is useful in choosing

therapy targets and devising word lists for production practice and auditory

bombardment (focused auditory input) when appropriate.

Page updated 23 Mar 2010

HOME SITE MAP START PAGE ABOUT DISCLAIMER

PRIVACY CONTENTS LINKS EMAIL CONTACT

http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/wordlists.html

COPYRIGHT © Caroline Bowen ALL RIGHTS RESERVED



minimal pairs wordlist

Documents