MINIMAL PAIRS FOR PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE

What Are Minimal Pairs? Minimal pairs are two words that are pronounced almost in the same way, but they have one sound that makes them different. The sound can be a vowel or a consonant. These pairs have nothing to do with spelling or meaning. The words sound similar but they do not mean the same thing. Their definitions have nothing to do with each other. They might be spelled very differently, but the actual sounds (called phonemes) will be quite similar. Or, the two words in a minimal pair might be spelled very similarly, with just one different letter.

Minimal pairs often confuse English learners. Many English learners will replace one word with another while speaking. This completely changes the meaning of the actual sentence. However, if you learn minimal pairs, you can really improve your English pronunciation. Practicing minimal pairs is a great way to become a better English listener.

S AND SH MINIMAL PAIRS PRONUNCIATION Minimal pairs are words that differ by 1 sound, these word pairs and picture cards are all different in that they use s or sh. For example, sip and ship are the same except for the initial consonant sounds of s and sh.

Pronunciation of the S and SH sounds To make the S sound, the sides of your tongue should be touching your top teeth. The tip of your tongue should be forward, nearly touching the roof of your mouth. You shouldn’t use your voice or throat, let air pass over the tip of your tongue. To make the SH sound use the S sound method above but bring your tongue back a little. Your tongue should also be flatter than when making the S sound.

S and SH minimal pairs practice sentences Here are some simple sentences to practice using the target sounds – 1. They found a sack in the shack. 2. Where are Sue’s shoes? 3. She’ll want to see the seal. 4. He said it is in the shed. 5. She crushed the crust. 6. Put a sheet on the seat. 7. We saw a boar on the shore.