What is a minimal pair?

A minimal pair is two words that differ in only one sound.

Sounds which differ: /p/ and /b/

• [lQp] ‘lap’
• [lQb] ‘lab’

Sounds which differ: /t/ and /d/

• [taka] 'liver'
• [daka] 'to rest'

• What is contrast in identical environments?

Context for this page:

• Concept module: minimal pair
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): M
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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