All Word Pairs

aunt · ant

/ænt/ or /ɑːnt/ — AmE vs BrE accent difference

banned · band

homophones /bænd/ — past tense of ban vs music group

beach · peach

voiced /b/ vs unvoiced /p/ — same long /iː/ and /tʃ/ ending

beet · beat

homophones — same sound, spelling challenge

billy · belly

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/

bite · bait

diphthong /aɪ/ vs diphthong /eɪ/ — two gliding vowels

blue · blew

homophones /bluː/ — colour vs past of blow

books · box · bucks

short /ʊ/ vs /ɒ/ vs /ʌ/ — three back vowels, same /b_ks/ frame

bought · caught · boat · coat

long /ɔː/ (bought, caught) vs diphthong /oʊ/ (boat, coat) — silent GH

bump · pump

/b/ vs /p/ — voiced vs voiceless bilabial stop, same vowel /ʌ/

cab · cap

voiced /b/ vs unvoiced /p/ — same vowel /æ/

cell · sell

homophones /sɛl/ — jail cell vs to exchange for money

cent · scent

homophones /sɛnt/ — a coin vs a smell (also: sent!)

check · chick

short /ɛ/ vs short /ɪ/ — same consonants, tongue height differs

cod · could

short /ɒ/ vs short /ʊ/ — fish vs modal verb, silent L

cost · coast

short /ɒ/ vs /oʊ/ + silent A

crow · crew

diphthong /oʊ/ vs long /uː/ — black bird vs working group

die · dye

homophones /daɪ/ — to cease living vs to colour

eyes · ice

/aɪz/ vs /aɪs/ — voiced /z/ vs voiceless /s/ at the end

fair · fare

homophones /fɛr/ — just/carnival vs transport cost

fairy · ferry

homophones /ˈfɛr.i/ — magical creature vs boat service

flour · flower

homophones /flaʊər/ — baking ingredient vs blooming plant

god · good

/ɡɒd/ vs /ɡʊd/ — divine being vs morally right

gone · gun

short /ɒ/ vs short /ʌ/ — no longer present vs a firearm

got · gut

short /ɒ/ vs short /ʌ/ — back vowel vs central vowel

greece · grease

homophones /ɡriːs/ — a country vs an oily substance

hear · here

homophones /hɪər/ — to listen vs location

herd · heard

homophones /hɜːrd/ — animals vs past of hear

hill · hell

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — tongue height, one word up, one down

hop · hope

magic E — short /ɒ/ vs diphthong /oʊ/

leather · lather

/ɛ/ vs /æ/ — same voiced /ð/, a clean minimal pair

left · lift

short /ɛ/ vs short /ɪ/ — direction/departed vs elevator/raise

lice · lies

diphthong /aɪ/ — final /s/ vs /z/ — parasites vs untruths

loose · lose

/luːs/ vs /luːz/ — same vowel, voiceless /s/ vs voiced /z/

lunch · launch

short /ʌ/ vs long /ɔː/

mad · made

short /æ/ vs diphthong /eɪ/ — magic E changes the vowel

Magic E — silent e

cap→cape, pin→pine, cub→cube — silent E makes the vowel say its name

mail · male

homophones /meɪl/ — AI vs silent-E spelling

mall · mole

long /ɔː/ vs diphthong /oʊ/

man · mane · main

short /æ/ vs diphthong /eɪ/ — mane and main are homophones

mint · meant

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — herb vs past tense of mean

miss · mess

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — same consonants, vowel-only contrast

mode · mood

diphthong /oʊ/ vs pure long /uː/

mold · mould

/moʊld/ — American vs British spelling, same pronunciation

nap · nape

short /æ/ vs diphthong /eɪ/ — magic E changes the vowel

nice · niece

diphthong /aɪ/ vs long /iː/ — same final /s/, different vowel

P vs B

voiceless /p/ vs voiced /b/ — the puff vs buzz guide, animated demo, minimal pairs drill

pair · pear · bear

/pɛr/ homophones + /bɛr/ — same vowel, three spellings

pan · pane · pain

short /æ/ vs diphthong /eɪ/ — pane and pain are homophones

paper · pepper

diphthong /eɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — two vowels, same consonant frame

patch · batch

short /æ/ — voiceless /p/ vs voiced /b/, same vowel

peach · pitch

long /iː/ vs short /ɪ/ — same /p/ and /tʃ/ frame

pen · pin · bin

/ɛ/ vs /ɪ/ vowel + voiced /b/ vs voiceless /p/

pet · pit · bet

short /ɛ/ vs /ɪ/ vs /ɛ/ — tongue height and consonant contrast

pond · bond · pound · bend

/p/ vs /b/ across three vowels: /ɒ/ · /aʊ/ · /ɛ/ — all end in /nd/

pray · prey

homophones /preɪ/ — to speak to God vs hunted animal

rice · rise · price · prize · nice · noise

the /aɪ/ voicing contrast, plus the related nice/noise

robe · rope

/roʊb/ vs /roʊp/ — voiced /b/ vs voiceless /p/

rod · rode · road

short /ɒ/ vs diphthong /oʊ/ — rode and road are exact homophones

rule · role

long /uː/ vs diphthong /oʊ/ — regulation vs a part played

salt · fault

/s/ vs /f/ — same long /ɔː/ and /lt/ ending — fault: blame and geology

scar · scare

long /ɑːr/ vs diphthong /ɛər/ — R-coloured vowels

see · sea · write · right · know · no

three true homophone pairs — same sound, silent letters

set · sit

short /ɛ/ vs short /ɪ/ — tongue height minimal pair

shape · ship · sheep

diphthong /eɪ/ vs short /ɪ/ vs long /iː/ — three-way

shin · chin · shine

short /ɪ/ vs diphthong /aɪ/ — fricative /ʃ/ vs affricate /tʃ/ — shin/shine is a Magic E pair

Short /ɪ/ group

sit · bin · pin · tin · six · kit — words sharing the short /ɪ/ vowel

since · sense

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — time word vs perception

sing · sign · sin

short /ɪŋ/ vs diphthong /aɪn/ vs short /ɪn/ — nasal ending vs silent G vs alveolar /n/

sing · sink

short /ɪŋ/ vs /ɪŋk/ — sink adds a final /k/ stop after the nasal

six · sex

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — key for Spanish speakers

slept · slipped

short /ɛ/ vs short /ɪ/ — past of sleep vs past of slip

snake · snack

diphthong /eɪ/ vs short /æ/ — silent E rule

sun · son

homophones /sʌn/ — O that sounds like /ʌ/

tap → tape · tub → tube

Magic E illustrated: /æ/→/eɪ/ and /ʌ/→/uː/ — tap/tub add a silent E

there · their · they're

homophones /ðɛr/ — three spellings, one sound, three meanings

tip · top · tub

short vowel triplet: /ɪ/ (tip) · /ɒ/ (top) · /ʌ/ (tub) — same consonants, three distinct vowels

wait · weight

homophones /weɪt/ — to stay vs how heavy something is

will · well

short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — legal document vs water source

wood · would

homophones /wʊd/ — silent L in would

angel · angle

soft /dʒ/ vs hard /ŋɡ/ — same letters, different sounds

bail · ball · pale · pail

diphthong /eɪ/ vs long /ɔː/ — bail, pale, and pail share the same vowel (pale/pail are homophones)

ball · pole · pool

/bɔːl/ · /poʊl/ · /puːl/ — three different back vowels

bold · bald

diphthong /oʊ/ vs long /ɔː/ — confident vs no hair

called · cold

long /ɔː/ vs diphthong /oʊ/ — past of call vs low temperature

campus · compass

short /æ/ vs short /ʌ/ — university grounds vs navigation tool

career · carrier

stress shift: ca-REER /kəˈrɪər/ vs CAR-ri-er /ˈkær.i.ər/ — not silent-e, pure stress trap

close · close

homograph — /kloʊz/ verb vs /kloʊs/ adjective

cloth · clothes · close

/klɒθ/ vs /kloʊz/ — fabric vs garments vs to shut; silent TH trap

curry · carry

/ʌ/ vs /æ/ — Spanish speakers often merge these toward 'ah'; jaw height is the key

drawn · drown

long /ɔː/ vs diphthong /aʊ/ — one letter apart

fan · fun · fine

short /æ/ vs short /ʌ/ vs diphthong /aɪ/ — three vowels, same F…N frame

hat · heat · hate

/æ/ vs /iː/ vs /eɪ/ — three-way contrast

hunted · haunted

short /ʌ/ vs long /ɔː/ — tracked down vs visited by ghosts

live · live

homograph — /lɪv/ verb vs /laɪv/ adjective

liver · lever

short /ɪ/ vs long /iː/ — organ vs tool — vowel length changes meaning

low · law · lawn

/loʊ/ vs /lɔː/ vs /lɔːn/ — diphthong to long vowel

mouse · mouth

same vowel /aʊ/, different ending: /s/ (mouse) vs /θ/ (mouth) — the voiceless th Spanish and Arabic speakers often replace with /s/ or /t/

poor · pour · power

/pɔːr/ homophones vs /ˈpaʊ.ər/ diphthong — 2 syllables

potty · booty

short /ɒ/ vs long /uː/

quiet · quite · quit

/ˈkwaɪ.ət/ vs /kwaɪt/ vs /kwɪt/ — syllable count

read · ready

/riːd/ present vs /rɛd/ past — tense changes vowel

robber · rubber · Rober

short /ɒ/ vs short /ʌ/ vs diphthong /oʊ/ — three vowels, same consonant frame

sap · soap · soup

short /æ/ vs diphthong /oʊ/ vs long /uː/ — three vowels, same -p ending

scrape · script

diphthong /eɪ/ vs short /ɪ/ — magic E changes the vowel

think · sink

/θɪŋk/ vs /sɪŋk/ — TH fricative vs S, same vowel and ending

tongs · tongue

/tɒŋz/ vs /tʌŋ/ — kitchen tool vs the organ used for tasting and speaking

trip · tripe · tribe

short /ɪ/ vs diphthong /aɪ/ — magic E unlocks the vowel

wear · were · where · we're

/wɛr/ · /wɜːr/ · /wɪər/ — wear=where homophones, were & we're differ

beer · bear · beard · bare

/ɪər/ vs /eər/ — four-way

blank · plank · flank · black

short /æ/ — final /ŋk/ vs /k/ — same vowel, different endings

bow · paw

/baʊ/ vs /boʊ/ vs /pɔː/ — homograph + contrast

cemetery · symmetry

/ˈsɛmɪtəri/ vs /ˈsɪmɪtri/ — stress and first-vowel contrast

debit · debt

/ˈdɛb.ɪt/ vs /dɛt/ — silent B in debt

fall · fail · fill · Phil

/fɔːl/ vs /feɪl/ vs /fɪl/ — fill = Phil; Phil ≠ feel

gauze · gaze

long /ɔː/ vs diphthong /eɪ/ — bandage material vs to stare

her · here · hair

/hɜː/ vs /hɪər/ vs /hɛər/ — three R-coloured vowels

infinite · finite

/ˈɪnfɪnɪt/ vs /ˈfaɪnaɪt/ — prefix in- changes everything

later · latter · letter

/eɪ/ vs /æ/ vs /ɛ/ — three vowels, same -t- consonant

lattice · lettuce

short /æ/ vs short /ɛ/ — same ending, different first vowel

lie · lie

homonym /laɪ/ — to rest flat vs to say something false

litter · letter · latter

/ɪ/ vs /ɛ/ vs /æ/ — three-way

loaner · lunar

diphthong /oʊ/ vs long /uː/ — replacement car vs the moon

Mary · marry · merry

diphthong /ɛər/ vs /æ/ vs short /ɛ/ — British English three-way distinction; American English often merges all three

message · massage

/ˈmɛs.ɪdʒ/ vs /məˈsɑːʒ/ — stress shift + French /ʒ/

palm · balm · bomb

/pɑːm/ · /bɑːm/ · /bɒm/ — silent L vs silent B

posture · pasture · pasteurization

/ˈpɒs.tʃər/ vs /ˈpɑːs.tʃər/ vs /ˌpæs.tʃər.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ — similar spelling, three different words

present · dessert · desert

/ˈprɛz.ənt/ vs /dɪˈzɜːrt/ vs /ˈdɛz.ərt/ — stress trap

rape · wrap · rap

diphthong /eɪ/ vs short /æ/ — rape is NOT a homophone, but wrap = rap

red shirt · Richard

/rɛd ʃɜːrt/ vs /ˈrɪtʃ.ərd/ — the name is 'rich', not 'ree-shard'

ship · sheep · chip · cheap

sh/ch consonant + short /ɪ/ vs long /iː/ — four-way contrast

sinking · syncing · thinking

sinking = syncing /ˈsɪŋ.kɪŋ/ — thinking swaps /s/ for /θ/

suit · suite · sweet

/suːt/ vs /swiːt/ — suite and sweet are exact homophones

syllable · syllabus

/ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/ vs /ˈsɪl.ə.bəs/ — same start, different ending

tear · tear · tier

/tɛər/ vs /tɪər/ — homograph + homophone: rip vs droplet vs level

toward · toured

long /ɔː/ vs diphthong /ʊər/ — direction vs past travel

violet · violent

/ˈvaɪ.ə.lɪt/ vs /ˈvaɪ.ə.lənt/ — same first two syllables, different ending