Matching pairs word game

The aim of this activity is to use minimal pairs to draw the attention of learners to problems they may have distinguishing and reproducing similar consonant and vowel sounds.

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Online Minimal Pairs Game

Visit our partner site for an online minimal pairs activity.

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Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ in only one phonological element, for example, a vowel change such as in bed and bad or a consonant change such as bad and bat. Because every language uses different sets of phonological elements, learners often have difficulty hearing and/or pronouncing certain unfamiliar sounds.

To give some examples, German speakers often have a problem distinguishing the words bad and bed due to the absence of the /ʌ/ vowel sound in their own language. Similarly, a native Spanish speaker might have problems distinguishing the words yolk and joke because the letter J has the same consonant sound as the letter Y in the Spanish alphabet. Therefore, for this minimal pairs activity try and find groups and pairs of words that your students find challenging.

There is a list of common pronunciation problems by nationality listed at the bottom of this page.

Stage 1

Choose four or five similar minimal pairs and write them on the board in two columns, for example:

1 heat sheep beat seat

2 hit ship bit sit

Say one of the words from the board and have the students tell you whether you gave them a word from column 1 or column 2. Repeat this a few times and then have students do the same in pairs.

Stage 2

You will need a set of around 20 cards that contain examples of minimal pairs that you wish to practise (or you can use one of the card sets provided below).

Put students into pairs. Each pair will need their own complete sets of cards. They will also need to set up a barrier between them so they can lay out their cards without the other student seeing them. A course book propped up on the table will usually do the job.

The first student chooses eight cards from their set and lays them out on the table behind the barrier, the other student should spread out their cards on the desk so he or she can see them all. The leading partner now clearly speaks (and repeats if necessary) each of their chosen words and the listening partner attempts to lay their matching card. After all 8 cards have been laid, remove the barrier and see whether the listening student has managed to match all of the speaker’s cards correctly.

It’s a good idea to rotate pairs so that students are exposed to different speakers. You could also do this activity in groups of four with a pair on each side of the barrier.

Printable Minimal Pair Cards

• mixed pairs
• final consonant

Vowel Pairs

• /æ/ as in bag and /e/ as in beg
• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /æ/ as in hat and /ɑ:/ as in heart
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ɒ/ as in hot
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ɜ:/ as in hurt
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /eɪ/ as in hey and /aɪ/ as in hi
• /eə/ as in hair and /eɪ/ as in hay
• /eə/ as in bear and /ɪə/ as in beer
• /i:/ as in beat and /ɪ/ as in bit
• /e/ as in bed and /ɜ:/ as in bird
• /e/ as in beg and /ʌ/ as in bug
• /e/ as in beg and /ɪ/ as in big
• /ɜ:/ as in bird and /ɔ:/ as in bored
• /ɜ:/ as is bird and /ʌ/ as in bud
• /ɒ/ as in pot and /ɔ:/ as in port
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought
• /əʊ/ as in hope and /ɒ/ as in hop
• /əʊ/ as in hole and /aʊ/ as in howl

Consonant Pairs

• /b/ as in berry and /v/ as in very
• /b/ as in bill and /p/ as in pill
• /ʧ/ as in cheap and /ʤ/ as in jeep
• /ʧ/ as in cherry and /ʃ/ as in sherry
• /ʧ/as in chart and /t/ as in tart
• /d/ as in deep and /ʤ/ as in jeap
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /d/ as in dawn and /θ/ as in thorn
• /f/ as in fast and /p/ as in past
• /f/ as in ferry and /v/ as in very
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /h/ as in heart and vowel sound as in art
• /dʒ/ as in jaw and /j/ as in your
• /l/ as in line and /n/ as in nine
• /l/ as in long and /r/ as in wrong
• /m/ as in mice and /n/ as in nice
• /n/ as in sun and /ng/ as in sung
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /r/ as in rock and /w/ as in wok
• /s/ as in seat and /ʃ/ as in sheet
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /ð/ as in then and /z/ as in zen
• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse

Consonant Clusters

• /fl/ as in fleet, floss and /f/ & /l/ as in feet, loss
• /kl/ as in click, cloud and /k/ & /l/ as in kick, loud
• /kr/ as in creep, crust and /k/ & /r/ as in keep, rust
• /ks/ as in marks, rocks and /sk/ & /k/ as in mask, rock
• /lt/ as in quilt, belt and /l/ & /t/ as in quit, bell
• /nt/ as in paint, aunt and /n/ & /t/ as in pain, art
• /pl/ as in please and /p/ as in peas
• /pr/ as in pretty and /p/ as in pity
• /sk/ as in busk, dusk and /s/ & /k/ as in bus, duck
• /st/as in stink, past and /s/ & /t/ as in sink, part
• /θs/ as in strengths, maths
• /tr/ as in trick and /t/ as in tick
• /tr/ as in trick and /tʃ/ as in chick
• /ts/ as in ants and eats /t/,/st/ as in ant and east

Alternative Paperless Minimal Pairs Activity

You can play a version of this minimal pairs game even if you aren’t able to cut out all the cards needed. Instead, copy the words from a set of minimal pairs onto the whiteboard and go through their pronunciation with the class, drilling where necessary. Now ask students to pick five words from the board and write them down in their notebooks. Students should now read their words either to the class or to a partner. The listeners should write down which words they hear. After the words have been given and repeated if necessary the listener(s) compare their lists with the original list. Or the teacher can write their own list of perceived words on the board to compare with the student’s list.

Quick Tips

Students can use the Google voice recognition feature of their smartphones to check their pronunciation at home. Give the students a short phrase which they have to practise until Google can recognise it correctly. For example, the pet cat sat on the red rat.

Pit Pat Putt is a fun way to practise different vowel sounds. Check out the pronunciation section on the menu tab for other pronunciation games and activities.

Additional Activities

As an additional activity, you could have pairs or groups of students make up a story or dialogue using the words from the cards. Or they could create simple tongue twisters to challenge their classmates with.

Common Pronunciation Issues by Nationality

English language learners of different backgrounds may have problems differentiating some of the following vowel and consonant sounds.

Arabic

Vowels

• /æ/ as in bag and /e/ as in beg
• /æ/ as in hat and /ɑ:/ as in heart
• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /eɪ/ as in hey and /aɪ/ as in hi
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /e/ as in bed and /ɜ:/ as in bird
• /ɛ/ as in beg and /ɪ/ as in big
• /e/ as in beg and /ʌ/ as in bug
• /eə/ as in bear and /ɪə/ as in beer
• /ɜ:/ as in bird and /ɔ:/ as in bored
• /ɜ:/ as is hurt and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /ɒ/ as in pot and /ɔ:/ as in port
• /əʊ/ as in hope and /ɒ/ as in hop
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought

Consonants

• /b/ as in bill and /p/ as in pill
• /ʧ/ as in cherry and /ʃ/ as in sherry
• /ʧ/as in chart and /t/ as in tart
• /f/ as in ferry and /v/ as in very
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /ð/ as in then and /z/ as in zen

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Chinese

Vowels

• /æ/ as in bag and /e/ as in beg
• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /æ/ as in hat and /ɑ:/ as in heart
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /i:/ as in beat and /ɪ/ as in bit
• /ɒ/ as in pot and /ɔ:/ as in port
• /ɜ:/ as is hurt and /ʌ/ as in hut

Consonants

• /b/ as in bill and /p/ as in pill
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /f/ as in ferry and /v/ as in very
• /l/ as in line and /n/ as in nine
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse
• /ð/ as in then and /z/ as in zen

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French

Vowels

• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ɒ/ as in hot
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /eɪ/ as in hey and /aɪ/ as in hi
• /ɜ:/ as is hurt and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /ɪ/ as in lip and /i:/ as in leap
• /əʊ/ as in hope and /ɒ/ as in hop
• /ɒ/ as in pot and /ɔ:/ as in port
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought
• /əʊ/ as in hole and /aʊ/ as in howl

Consonants

• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in dawn and /θ/ as in thorn
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /h/ as in heart and vowel sound as in art
• /dʒ/ as in jaw and /j/ as in your
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /r/ as in rock and /w/ as in wok
• /s/as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /ʧ/ as in cherry and /ʃ/ as in sherry
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /ð/ as in then and /z/ as in zen

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German

Vowels

• /æ/ as in bag and /e/ as in beg

Consonants

• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /h/ as in heart and vowel sound as in art
• /s/as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in price and /z/ as in prize
• /ʃ/ as in sherry and /ʧ/ as in cherry
• /t/ as in kit and /d/ as in kid

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Hindi

Vowels

• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /ɒ/ as in pot and /ɔ:/ as in port

Consonants

• /b/ as in bill and /p/ as in pill
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse

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Italian

Vowels

• /i:/ as in beat and /ɪ/ as in bit
• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /æ/ as in hat and /ɑ:/ as in heart
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ɜ:/ as in hurt
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /e/ as in bed and /ɜ:/ as in bird
• /ɜ:/ as in bird and /ɔ:/ as in bored
• /ɜ:/ as is bird and /ʌ/ as in bud
• /əʊ/ as in hope and /ɒ/ as in hop
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought

Consonants

• /d/ as in dawn and /θ/ as in thorn
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /h/ as in heart and vowel sound as in art
• /dʒ/ as in jaw and /j/ as in your
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /s/as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse

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Japanese

Vowels

• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /æ/ as in bag and /e/ as in beg
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ɜ:/ as in hurt
• /ɪ/ as in hit and /i:/ as in heat
• /ɜ:/ as in bird and /ɔ:/ as in bored
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought

Consonants

• /b/ as in berry and /v/ as in very
• /d/ as in door and /ʤ/ as in jaw
• /ʧ/as in chart and /t/ as in tart
• /l/ as in long and /r/ as in wrong
• /m/ as in mice and /n/ as in nice
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /ð/ as in then and /z/ as in zen

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Korean

Vowels

Consonants

• /b/ as in bill and /p/ as in pill
• /b/ as in berry and /v/ as in very
• /ʧ/ as in cheap and /ʤ/ as in jeep
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /f/ as in fast and /p/ as in past
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo

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Russian

Vowels

• /ɪ/ as in lip and /i:/ as in leap

Consonants

• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse
• /ð/ as in with and /z/ as in whizz
• /t/ as in boat and /θ/ as in both
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing

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Spanish

Vowels

• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /æ/ as in hat and /ɑ:/ as in heart
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ɜ:/ as in hurt
• /i:/ as in beat and /ɪ/ as in bit
• /ɜ:/ as in bird and /ɔ:/ as in bored

Consonants

• /b/ as in berry and /v/ as in very
• /ʧ/ as in cheap and /ʤ/ as in jeep
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /dʒ/ as in jaw and /j/ as in your
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /s/ as in seat and /ʃ/ as in sheet
• /s/as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
• /ʃ/ as in sherry and /ʧ/ as in cherry

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Thai

Vowels

• /æ/ as in hat and /ɑ:/ as in heart
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /eɪ/ as in hey and /aɪ/ as in hi
• /əʊ/ as in hope and /ɒ/ as in hop
• /əʊ/ as in hole and /aʊ/ as in howl

Consonants

• /ʧ/ as in cherry and /ʃ/ as in sherry
• /ʧ/as in chart and /t/ as in tart
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in dawn and /θ/ as in thorn
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /l/ as in long and /r/ as in wrong
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
•  
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse

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Turkish

Vowels

• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /eɪ/ as in hey and /aɪ/ as in hi
• /ɑ:/ as in heart and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /eə/ as in hair and /eɪ/ as in hay
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /ɜ:/ as is hurt and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought
• /əʊ/ as in hope and /ɒ/ as in hop

Consonants

• /b/ as in bill and /p/ as in pill
• /ʧ/ as in cherry and /ʃ/ as in sherry
• /d/ as in dent and /t/ as in tent
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /d/ as in dawn and /θ/ as in thorn
• /f/ as in ferry and /v/ as in very
• /ŋk/ as in bank and /ŋ/ as in bang
• /n/ as in sun and /ng/ as in sung
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing
• /s/ as in Sue and /z/ as in zoo
• /t/ as in tin and /θ/ as in thin
• /v/ as in verse and /w/ as in worse

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Vietnamese

Vowels

• /æ/ as in hat and /ʌ/ as in hut
• /eɪ/ as in wait and /e/ as in wet
• /ɪ/ as in hit and /i:/ as in heat
• /əʊ/ as in boat and /ɔ:/ as in bought

Consonants

• final consonant
• /ʧ/ as in cheap and /ʤ/ as in jeep
• /ʧ/as in chart and /t/ as in tart
• /d/ as in deep and /ʤ/ as in jeep
• /d/ as in day and /ð/ as in they
• /g/ as in bag and /k/ as in back
• /ð/ as in then and /z/ as in zen
• /t/ as in boat and /θ/ as in both
• /s/ as in seat and /ʃ/ as in sheet
• /s/ as in sing and /θ/ as in thing

See this Wikipedia article for further information on common English learner pronunciation problems by nationality.