Minimal Pairs /t/ And /d/ (Tie And Die)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /t/ and /d/. /t/ is a voiceless alveolar plosive and /d/ is a voiced alveolar plosive. They differ in voicing.
| With /t/ | With /d/ |
|---|---|
| to /tuː/ | do /duː/ |
| at /æt/ | add /æd/ |
| too /tuː/ | do /duː/ |
| two /tuː/ | do /duː/ |
| ant /ænt/ | and /ænd/ |
| bat /bæt/ | bad /bæd/ |
| bet /bet/ | bed /bed/ |
| bit /bɪt/ | bid /bɪd/ |
| but /bʌt/ | bud /bʌd/ |
| eat /iːt/ | eid /iːd/ |
| hat /hæt/ | had /hæd/ |
| lit /lɪt/ | lid /lɪd/ |
| mat /mæt/ | mad /mæd/ |
| not /nɒt/ | nod /nɒd/ |
| oat /əʊt/ | ode /əʊd/ |
| rot /rɒt/ | rod /rɒd/ |
| sat /sæt/ | sad /sæd/ |
| tie /taɪ/ | die /daɪ/ |
| tie /taɪ/ | dye /daɪ/ |
| tip /tɪp/ | dip /dɪp/ |
| try /traɪ/ | dry /draɪ/ |
| aunt /ænt/ | and /ænd/ |
| knot /nɒt/ | nod /nɒd/ |
| mutt /mʌt/ | mud /mʌd/ |
| set /set/ | said /sed/ |
| writ /rɪt/ | rid /rɪd/ |
| bolt /bəʊlt/ | bold /bəʊld/ |
| cart /kɑːt/ | card /kɑːd/ |
| cent /sent/ | send /send/ |
| cite /saɪt/ | side /saɪd/ |
| coat /kəʊt/ | code /kəʊd/ |
| debt /det/ | dead /ded/ |
| eight /eɪt/ | aid /eɪd/ |
| fate /feɪt/ | fade /feɪd/ |
| feet /fiːt/ | feed /fiːd/ |
| goat /ɡəʊt/ | goad /ɡəʊd/ |
| heat /hiːt/ | he'd /hiːd/ |
| hurt /hɜːt/ | herd /hɜːd/ |
| late /leɪt/ | laid /leɪd/ |
| lent /lent/ | lend /lend/ |
| loot /luːt/ | lewd /luːd/ |
| mate /meɪt/ | made /meɪd/ |
| moot /muːt/ | mood /muːd/ |
| neat /niːt/ | need /niːd/ |
| rate /reɪt/ | raid /reɪd/ |
| rent /rent/ | rend /rend/ |
| rite /raɪt/ | ride /raɪd/ |
| root /ruːt/ | rude /ruːd/ |
| seat /siːt/ | seed /siːd/ |
| sent /sent/ | send /send/ |
| site /saɪt/ | side /saɪd/ |
| team /tiːm/ | deem /diːm/ |
| tear /teə/ | dare /deə/ |
| tent /tent/ | tend /tend/ |
| toe /təʊ/ | dough /dəʊ/ |
| tomb /tuːm/ | doom /duːm/ |
| town /taʊn/ | down /daʊn/ |
| trip /trɪp/ | drip /drɪp/ |
| true /truː/ | drew /druː/ |
| tune /tjuːn/ | dune /djuːn/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /t/ and /d/?
Word pairs that differ only in /t/ and /d/ in the same position, such as to and do. 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)