Minimal Pairs Practice
Read the following words. Try to make a clear difference between the two words.
| sock | sack | /a/ vs. /æ/ |
| rack | wreck | /æ/ vs. /ɛ/ |
| mess | miss | /ɛ/ vs. /ı/ |
| pot | pat | /a/ vs. /æ/ |
| debt | date | /ɛ/ vs. /ey/ |
| cop | cap | /a/ vs. /æ/ |
| err | or | /ɛ/ vs. /ɔ/ |
| lace | less | /ey/ vs. /ɛ/ |
| cot | cut | /a/ vs. /ʌ/ |
| four | far | /ɔ/ vs. /a/ |
| tar | tore | /a/ vs. /ɔ/ |
| as | us | /æ/ vs. /ʌ/ |
| nut | not | /ʌ/ vs. /a/ |
| caught | cut | /ɔ/ vs. /ʌ/ |
| come | calm | /ʌ/ vs. /a/ |
| duck | deck | /ʌ/ vs. /ɛ/ |
| been | bean | /ı/ vs. /iy/ |
| bag | bug | /a/ vs. /ʌ/ |
| stop | step | /a/ vs. /ɛ/ |
| bat | but | /a/ vs. /ʌ/ |
| cheap | chip | /iy/ vs. /ı/ |
| aught | at | /ɔ/ vs. /æ/ |
| each | itch | /iy/ vs. /ı/ |
| fun | fan | /ʌ/ vs. /æ/ |
| hill | hell | /ı/ vs. /ɛ/ |
| peak | pick | /iy/ vs. /ı/ |
| dead | dad | /ɛ/ vs. /æ/ |
| debt | dot | /ɛ/ vs. /a/ |
