Look a /s/ock, oh what a /ʃ/ock!

Minimal pairs are two words that are pronounced differently by only one sound. For example, the words "ship" and "sheep" are a minimal pair. The only difference between these two words is the vowel sound in the middle of the words. The sound is very similar but it's length is different.

Minimal pairs can be a very helpful tool for improving your English pronunciation. By practicing pronouncing minimal pairs, you can train your ear to hear the difference between different sounds in English. This can help you to pronounce English words more accurately.

Here are some tips for using minimal pairs to improve your English pronunciation:

1. Choose a minimal pair that you find difficult. For example, if you have trouble pronouncing the difference between the "th" sound in "thin" /θ/ and the "f" sound in "fin" /f/, then you should choose those two words as your minimal pair.

2. Record yourself pronouncing the two words in the minimal pair. Pay attention to the sound that you are having trouble with.

3. Listen to the recording and compare your pronunciation to the pronunciation of a proficient English speaker. You can find recordings of native English speakers pronouncing minimal pairs online or in pronunciation textbooks.

4. Practice pronouncing the minimal pair until you can pronounce both words accurately.

Here are some examples of vowel minimal pairs in English:

• ship / sheep - short /ɪ/ vs long /i:/

• cot / caught - short /ɒ/ vs long /ɔ:/

• shirt / short - long /ɜ:/ vs long /ɔ:/

• house / horse - diphthong /aʊ/ vs long /ɔ:/

Here are some examples of consonant minimal pairs in English:

• thin / fin - /θ/ vs /f/

• dog / dock - /g/ vs /k/

• she / sea - /ʃ/ vs /s/

• shoes / choose - /ʃ/ vs /ʧ/

• right / light - /r/ vs /l/

• sing / thing - /s/ vs /θ/

You can find many more examples of minimal pairs online or in pronunciation textbooks. You can also get in touch and book a couple of English lessons focusing specifically on pronunciation.

Here are some activities that you can do to practice pronouncing minimal pairs:

• Minimal pair discrimination: Listen to a recording of two minimal pairs and try to identify the difference in pronunciation.

• Minimal pair production: Practice pronouncing minimal pairs. You can do this by yourself or with a partner.

• Minimal pair games: There are many games that you can play to practice pronouncing minimal pairs. For example, you can play a game where you have to say the two words in a minimal pair as quickly as possible.

Minimal pairs can be a very effective tool for improving your English pronunciation. By practicing pronouncing minimal pairs, you can train your ear to hear the difference between different sounds in English. This can help you to pronounce English words more accurately.

Sound Foundations chart

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