Minimal Pairs /aɪ/ And /eɪ/ (Light And Late)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /aɪ/ and /eɪ/. /aɪ/ is a diphthong and /eɪ/ is a diphthong.
| With /aɪ/ | With /eɪ/ |
|---|---|
| by /baɪ/ | bay /beɪ/ |
| eye /aɪ/ | eh /eɪ/ |
| hi /haɪ/ | hay /heɪ/ |
| hi /haɪ/ | hey /heɪ/ |
| my /maɪ/ | may /meɪ/ |
| buy /baɪ/ | bay /beɪ/ |
| bye /baɪ/ | bay /beɪ/ |
| die /daɪ/ | day /deɪ/ |
| dye /daɪ/ | day /deɪ/ |
| lie /laɪ/ | lay /leɪ/ |
| pie /paɪ/ | pay /peɪ/ |
| why /waɪ/ | way /weɪ/ |
| high /haɪ/ | hay /heɪ/ |
| high /haɪ/ | hey /heɪ/ |
| pry /praɪ/ | pray /preɪ/ |
| pry /praɪ/ | prey /preɪ/ |
| sigh /saɪ/ | say /seɪ/ |
| thy /ðaɪ/ | they /ðeɪ/ |
| try /traɪ/ | tray /treɪ/ |
| bike /baɪk/ | bake /beɪk/ |
| file /faɪl/ | fail /feɪl/ |
| like /laɪk/ | lake /leɪk/ |
| lime /laɪm/ | lame /leɪm/ |
| line /laɪn/ | lane /leɪn/ |
| mice /maɪs/ | mace /meɪs/ |
| mile /maɪl/ | mail /meɪl/ |
| mile /maɪl/ | male /meɪl/ |
| mine /maɪn/ | main /meɪn/ |
| pile /paɪl/ | pale /peɪl/ |
| pine /paɪn/ | pain /peɪn/ |
| rice /raɪs/ | race /reɪs/ |
| ride /raɪd/ | raid /reɪd/ |
| rile /raɪl/ | rail /reɪl/ |
| rise /raɪz/ | raze /reɪz/ |
| rite /raɪt/ | rate /reɪt/ |
| sign /saɪn/ | sane /seɪn/ |
| sine /saɪn/ | sane /seɪn/ |
| time /taɪm/ | tame /teɪm/ |
| type /taɪp/ | tape /teɪp/ |
| vile /vaɪl/ | veil /veɪl/ |
| vine /vaɪn/ | vain /veɪn/ |
| vine /vaɪn/ | vein /veɪn/ |
| why /waɪ/ | weigh /weɪ/ |
| wide /waɪd/ | wade /weɪd/ |
| wine /waɪn/ | wane /weɪn/ |
| awry /əˈraɪ/ | array /əˈreɪ/ |
| fight /faɪt/ | fate /feɪt/ |
| fine /faɪn/ | feign /feɪn/ |
| guile /ɡaɪl/ | gale /ɡeɪl/ |
| guise /ɡaɪz/ | gaze /ɡeɪz/ |
| light /laɪt/ | late /leɪt/ |
| might /maɪt/ | mate /meɪt/ |
| pint /paɪnt/ | paint /peɪnt/ |
| pyre /paɪə/ | payer /ˈpeɪ.ə/ |
| right /raɪt/ | rate /reɪt/ |
| rise /raɪz/ | raise /reɪz/ |
| sire /saɪə/ | sayer /ˈseɪ.ə/ |
| sly /slaɪ/ | sleigh /sleɪ/ |
| spry /spraɪ/ | spray /spreɪ/ |
| thyme /taɪm/ | tame /teɪm/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /aɪ/ and /eɪ/?
Word pairs that differ only in /aɪ/ and /eɪ/ in the same position, such as by and bay. 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)