Minimal Pairs /p/ And /b/ (Pat And Bat)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /p/ and /b/. /p/ is a voiceless bilabial plosive and /b/ is a voiced bilabial plosive. They differ in voicing.
| With /p/ | With /b/ |
|---|---|
| pea /piː/ | be /biː/ |
| pie /paɪ/ | by /baɪ/ |
| mop /mɒp/ | mob /mɒb/ |
| pad /pæd/ | bad /bæd/ |
| pay /peɪ/ | bay /beɪ/ |
| pea /piː/ | bee /biː/ |
| pet /pet/ | bet /bet/ |
| pie /paɪ/ | buy /baɪ/ |
| pie /paɪ/ | bye /baɪ/ |
| pig /pɪɡ/ | big /bɪɡ/ |
| pin /pɪn/ | bin /bɪn/ |
| pit /pɪt/ | bit /bɪt/ |
| paw /pɔː/ | boar /bɔː/ |
| paw /pɔː/ | bore /bɔː/ |
| pace /peɪs/ | base /beɪs/ |
| pack /pæk/ | back /bæk/ |
| pair /peə/ | bare /beə/ |
| pair /peə/ | bear /beə/ |
| pale /peɪl/ | bail /beɪl/ |
| pall /pɔːl/ | ball /bɔːl/ |
| palm /pɑːm/ | balm /bɑːm/ |
| pare /peə/ | bare /beə/ |
| pare /peə/ | bear /beə/ |
| park /pɑːk/ | bark /bɑːk/ |
| path /pɑːθ/ | bath /bɑːθ/ |
| pawn /pɔːn/ | born /bɔːn/ |
| pear /peə/ | bare /beə/ |
| pear /peə/ | bear /beə/ |
| peep /piːp/ | beep /biːp/ |
| peer /pɪə/ | beer /bɪə/ |
| pelt /pelt/ | belt /belt/ |
| pest /pest/ | best /best/ |
| pill /pɪl/ | bill /bɪl/ |
| pole /pəʊl/ | bowl /bəʊl/ |
| pond /pɒnd/ | bond /bɒnd/ |
| poor /pɔː/ | boar /bɔː/ |
| poor /pɔː/ | bore /bɔː/ |
| pore /pɔː/ | boar /bɔː/ |
| pore /pɔː/ | bore /bɔː/ |
| pork /pɔːk/ | balk /bɔːk/ |
| pour /pɔː/ | boar /bɔː/ |
| pour /pɔː/ | bore /bɔː/ |
| pray /preɪ/ | bray /breɪ/ |
| prey /preɪ/ | bray /breɪ/ |
| puck /pʌk/ | buck /bʌk/ |
| puff /pʌf/ | buff /bʌf/ |
| pull /pʊl/ | bull /bʊl/ |
| pump /pʌmp/ | bump /bʌmp/ |
| punk /pʌŋk/ | bunk /bʌŋk/ |
| punt /pʌnt/ | bunt /bʌnt/ |
| push /pʊʃ/ | bush /bʊʃ/ |
| rope /rəʊp/ | robe /rəʊb/ |
| post /pəʊst/ | boast /bəʊst/ |
| pyre /paɪə/ | buyer /ˈbaɪ.ə/ |
| ample /ˈæm.pəl/ | amble /ˈæm.bəl/ |
| pawn /pɔːn/ | bourne /bɔːn/ |
| peach /piːtʃ/ | beach /biːtʃ/ |
| peach /piːtʃ/ | beech /biːtʃ/ |
| plank /plæŋk/ | blank /blæŋk/ |
| plead /pliːd/ | bleed /bliːd/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /p/ and /b/?
Word pairs that differ only in /p/ and /b/ in the same position, such as pea and be. 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)