Minimal Pairs /v/ And /w/ (Vet And Wet)
15 pairs of words that differ only in /v/ and /w/. /v/ is a voiced labio-dental fricative and /w/ is a voiced bilabial approximant. They differ in place of articulation and manner of articulation.
| With /v/ | With /w/ |
|---|---|
| vet /vet/ | wet /wet/ |
| vow /vaʊ/ | wow /waʊ/ |
| via /ˈvaɪ.ə/ | wire /waɪə/ |
| vain /veɪn/ | wane /weɪn/ |
| vary /ˈveə.ri/ | wary /ˈweə.ri/ |
| veil /veɪl/ | wail /weɪl/ |
| vein /veɪn/ | wane /weɪn/ |
| vest /vest/ | west /west/ |
| vine /vaɪn/ | wine /waɪn/ |
| veer /vɪə/ | we're /wɪə/ |
| veil /veɪl/ | whale /weɪl/ |
| vile /vaɪl/ | while /waɪl/ |
| vine /vaɪn/ | whine /waɪn/ |
| verse /vɜːs/ | worse /wɜːs/ |
| victual /ˈvɪt.əl/ | whittle /ˈwɪt.əl/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /v/ and /w/?
Word pairs that differ only in /v/ and /w/ in the same position, such as vet and wet. This page lists 15 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)