Minimal Pairs /əʊ/ And /ɔː/ (Coat And Caught)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /əʊ/ and /ɔː/. /əʊ/ is a diphthong and /ɔː/ is a back half-open rounded vowel.
| With /əʊ/ | With /ɔː/ |
|---|---|
| no /nəʊ/ | nor /nɔː/ |
| owe /əʊ/ | or /ɔː/ |
| so /səʊ/ | saw /sɔː/ |
| low /ləʊ/ | law /lɔː/ |
| no /nəʊ/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| owe /əʊ/ | awe /ɔː/ |
| owe /əʊ/ | oar /ɔː/ |
| owe /əʊ/ | ore /ɔː/ |
| row /rəʊ/ | raw /rɔː/ |
| sew /səʊ/ | saw /sɔː/ |
| so /səʊ/ | soar /sɔː/ |
| so /səʊ/ | sore /sɔː/ |
| sow /səʊ/ | saw /sɔː/ |
| woe /wəʊ/ | war /wɔː/ |
| know /nəʊ/ | nor /nɔː/ |
| row /rəʊ/ | roar /rɔː/ |
| sew /səʊ/ | soar /sɔː/ |
| sew /səʊ/ | sore /sɔː/ |
| sow /səʊ/ | soar /sɔː/ |
| sow /səʊ/ | sore /sɔː/ |
| whoa /wəʊ/ | war /wɔː/ |
| woe /wəʊ/ | wore /wɔː/ |
| bold /bəʊld/ | bald /bɔːld/ |
| bone /bəʊn/ | born /bɔːn/ |
| bowl /bəʊl/ | ball /bɔːl/ |
| coal /kəʊl/ | call /kɔːl/ |
| code /kəʊd/ | cord /kɔːd/ |
| flow /fləʊ/ | flaw /flɔː/ |
| foal /fəʊl/ | fall /fɔːl/ |
| foam /fəʊm/ | form /fɔːm/ |
| folk /fəʊk/ | fork /fɔːk/ |
| hole /həʊl/ | hall /hɔːl/ |
| hole /həʊl/ | haul /hɔːl/ |
| know /nəʊ/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| load /ləʊd/ | laud /lɔːd/ |
| load /ləʊd/ | lord /lɔːd/ |
| loan /ləʊn/ | lawn /lɔːn/ |
| oat /əʊt/ | ought /ɔːt/ |
| poke /pəʊk/ | pork /pɔːk/ |
| pole /pəʊl/ | pall /pɔːl/ |
| show /ʃəʊ/ | sure /ʃɔː/ |
| toll /təʊl/ | tall /tɔːl/ |
| whoa /wəʊ/ | wore /wɔː/ |
| woke /wəʊk/ | walk /wɔːk/ |
| coat /kəʊt/ | court /kɔːt/ |
| dough /dəʊ/ | door /dɔː/ |
| flow /fləʊ/ | floor /flɔː/ |
| gnome /nəʊm/ | norm /nɔːm/ |
| moan /məʊn/ | mourn /mɔːn/ |
| pose /pəʊz/ | pause /pɔːz/ |
| show /ʃəʊ/ | shore /ʃɔː/ |
| snow /snəʊ/ | snore /snɔː/ |
| stow /stəʊ/ | store /stɔː/ |
| whole /həʊl/ | hall /hɔːl/ |
| whole /həʊl/ | haul /hɔːl/ |
| boat /bəʊt/ | bought /bɔːt/ |
| bone /bəʊn/ | bourne /bɔːn/ |
| choke /tʃəʊk/ | chalk /tʃɔːk/ |
| coat /kəʊt/ | caught /kɔːt/ |
| don't /dəʊnt/ | daunt /dɔːnt/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /əʊ/ and /ɔː/?
Word pairs that differ only in /əʊ/ and /ɔː/ in the same position, such as no and nor. 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/ (23)/v/ And /w/ (15)/θ/ And /s/ (28)/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/ (51)/e/ And /æ/ (44)/æ/ And /ʌ/ (60)/æ/ And /ɑː/ (22)/ʌ/ And /ɑː/ (25)/ɒ/ And /ʌ/ (36)/ɒ/ And /ɔː/ (12)/ɜː/ And /ɑː/ (22)/e/ And /eɪ/ (52)/əʊ/ And /ɔː/ (60)/aɪ/ And /eɪ/ (60)/ɪə/ And /eə/ (28)