Minimal Pairs /ɜː/ And /ɑː/ (Heard And Hard)
21 pairs of words that differ only in /ɜː/ and /ɑː/. /ɜː/ is a central half-open unrounded vowel and /ɑː/ is a back open unrounded vowel.
| With /ɜː/ | With /ɑː/ |
|---|---|
| fur /fɜː/ | far /fɑː/ |
| burn /bɜːn/ | barn /bɑːn/ |
| curt /kɜːt/ | cart /kɑːt/ |
| firm /fɜːm/ | farm /fɑːm/ |
| herd /hɜːd/ | hard /hɑːd/ |
| perk /pɜːk/ | park /pɑːk/ |
| stir /stɜː/ | star /stɑː/ |
| birth /bɜːθ/ | bath /bɑːθ/ |
| first /fɜːst/ | fast /fɑːst/ |
| gird /ɡɜːd/ | guard /ɡɑːd/ |
| heard /hɜːd/ | hard /hɑːd/ |
| hurt /hɜːt/ | heart /hɑːt/ |
| purse /pɜːs/ | pass /pɑːs/ |
| yearn /jɜːn/ | yarn /jɑːn/ |
| curve /kɜːv/ | carve /kɑːv/ |
| perch /pɜːtʃ/ | parch /pɑːtʃ/ |
| shirk /ʃɜːk/ | shark /ʃɑːk/ |
| gurgle /ˈɡɜː.ɡəl/ | gargle /ˈɡɑː.ɡəl/ |
| person /ˈpɜː.sən/ | parson /ˈpɑː.sən/ |
| further /ˈfɜː.ðə/ | father /ˈfɑː.ðə/ |
| further /ˈfɜː.ðə/ | farther /ˈfɑː.ðə/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /ɜː/ and /ɑː/?
Word pairs that differ only in /ɜː/ and /ɑː/ in the same position, such as fur and far. This page lists 21 of them.
Why practise minimal pairs?
Because the two words mean different things, a minimal pair proves that the two sounds are separate phonemes. Saying and hearing them side by side trains you to keep the sounds apart.
More Minimal Pairs
/p/ And /b/ (60)/t/ And /d/ (60)/k/ And /ɡ/ (60)/f/ And /v/ (34)/s/ And /z/ (33)/f/ And /p/ (60)/v/ And /b/ (22)/v/ And /w/ (15)/θ/ And /s/ (27)/θ/ And /t/ (27)/θ/ And /f/ (11)/ð/ And /d/ (17)/ð/ And /z/ (7)/s/ And /ʃ/ (49)/tʃ/ And /ʃ/ (27)/tʃ/ And /dʒ/ (9)/j/ And /dʒ/ (8)/l/ And /r/ (60)/m/ And /n/ (60)/n/ And /ŋ/ (12)/h/ And /f/ (42)/ɪ/ And /iː/ (60)/ɪ/ And /e/ (50)/e/ And /æ/ (44)/æ/ And /ʌ/ (60)/æ/ And /ɑː/ (22)/ʌ/ And /ɑː/ (25)/ɒ/ And /ʌ/ (35)/ɒ/ And /ɔː/ (12)/ɜː/ And /ɑː/ (21)/e/ And /eɪ/ (52)/əʊ/ And /ɔː/ (60)/aɪ/ And /eɪ/ (60)/ɪə/ And /eə/ (28)