Minimal Pairs /l/ And /r/ (Light And Right)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /l/ and /r/. /l/ is a voiced alveolar lateral and /r/ is a voiced alveolar approximant. They differ in manner of articulation.
| With /l/ | With /r/ |
|---|---|
| fly /flaɪ/ | fry /fraɪ/ |
| lag /læɡ/ | rag /ræɡ/ |
| law /lɔː/ | raw /rɔː/ |
| lay /leɪ/ | ray /reɪ/ |
| lid /lɪd/ | rid /rɪd/ |
| lot /lɒt/ | rot /rɒt/ |
| low /ləʊ/ | row /rəʊ/ |
| lamb /læm/ | ram /ræm/ |
| lap /læp/ | wrap /ræp/ |
| law /lɔː/ | roar /rɔː/ |
| limb /lɪm/ | rim /rɪm/ |
| lit /lɪt/ | writ /rɪt/ |
| blue /bluː/ | brew /bruː/ |
| clue /kluː/ | crew /kruː/ |
| flee /fliː/ | free /friː/ |
| glow /ɡləʊ/ | grow /ɡrəʊ/ |
| glue /ɡluː/ | grew /ɡruː/ |
| lace /leɪs/ | race /reɪs/ |
| lack /læk/ | rack /ræk/ |
| laid /leɪd/ | raid /reɪd/ |
| lair /leə/ | rare /reə/ |
| lake /leɪk/ | rake /reɪk/ |
| lamp /læmp/ | ramp /ræmp/ |
| lane /leɪn/ | rain /reɪn/ |
| lane /leɪn/ | rein /reɪn/ |
| lash /læʃ/ | rash /ræʃ/ |
| late /leɪt/ | rate /reɪt/ |
| lead /liːd/ | read /riːd/ |
| leaf /liːf/ | reef /riːf/ |
| leak /liːk/ | reek /riːk/ |
| leap /liːp/ | reap /riːp/ |
| leer /lɪə/ | rear /rɪə/ |
| lend /lend/ | rend /rend/ |
| lent /lent/ | rent /rent/ |
| lest /lest/ | rest /rest/ |
| lewd /luːd/ | rude /ruːd/ |
| life /laɪf/ | rife /raɪf/ |
| lift /lɪft/ | rift /rɪft/ |
| load /ləʊd/ | road /rəʊd/ |
| lobe /ləʊb/ | robe /rəʊb/ |
| lock /lɒk/ | rock /rɒk/ |
| loom /luːm/ | room /ruːm/ |
| loot /luːt/ | root /ruːt/ |
| lung /lʌŋ/ | rung /rʌŋ/ |
| lush /lʌʃ/ | rush /rʌʃ/ |
| play /pleɪ/ | pray /preɪ/ |
| play /pleɪ/ | prey /preɪ/ |
| aloe /ˈæl.əʊ/ | arrow /ˈær.əʊ/ |
| belly /ˈbel.i/ | bury /ˈber.i/ |
| lane /leɪn/ | reign /reɪn/ |
| leak /liːk/ | wreak /riːk/ |
| lest /lest/ | wrest /rest/ |
| light /laɪt/ | rite /raɪt/ |
| lime /laɪm/ | rhyme /raɪm/ |
| list /lɪst/ | wrist /rɪst/ |
| long /lɒŋ/ | wrong /rɒŋ/ |
| loot /luːt/ | route /ruːt/ |
| lung /lʌŋ/ | wrung /rʌŋ/ |
| belly /ˈbel.i/ | berry /ˈber.i/ |
| blade /bleɪd/ | braid /breɪd/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /l/ and /r/?
Word pairs that differ only in /l/ and /r/ in the same position, such as fly and fry. This page lists 60 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)