Minimal Pairs /k/ And /ɡ/ (Coat And Goat)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /k/ and /ɡ/. /k/ is a voiceless velar plosive and /ɡ/ is a voiced velar plosive. They differ in voicing.
| With /k/ | With /ɡ/ |
|---|---|
| cap /kæp/ | gap /ɡæp/ |
| back /bæk/ | bag /bæɡ/ |
| come /kʌm/ | gum /ɡʌm/ |
| dock /dɒk/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| duck /dʌk/ | dug /dʌɡ/ |
| lack /læk/ | lag /læɡ/ |
| muck /mʌk/ | mug /mʌɡ/ |
| pick /pɪk/ | pig /pɪɡ/ |
| rack /ræk/ | rag /ræɡ/ |
| sack /sæk/ | sag /sæɡ/ |
| wick /wɪk/ | wig /wɪɡ/ |
| came /keɪm/ | game /ɡeɪm/ |
| cash /kæʃ/ | gash /ɡæʃ/ |
| cave /keɪv/ | gave /ɡeɪv/ |
| clue /kluː/ | glue /ɡluː/ |
| coal /kəʊl/ | goal /ɡəʊl/ |
| coat /kəʊt/ | goat /ɡəʊt/ |
| code /kəʊd/ | goad /ɡəʊd/ |
| cold /kəʊld/ | gold /ɡəʊld/ |
| cork /kɔːk/ | gawk /ɡɔːk/ |
| crab /kræb/ | grab /ɡræb/ |
| crew /kruː/ | grew /ɡruː/ |
| crow /krəʊ/ | grow /ɡrəʊ/ |
| curl /kɜːl/ | girl /ɡɜːl/ |
| whack /wæk/ | wag /wæɡ/ |
| cache /kæʃ/ | gash /ɡæʃ/ |
| cage /keɪdʒ/ | gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ |
| card /kɑːd/ | guard /ɡɑːd/ |
| cool /kuːl/ | ghoul /ɡuːl/ |
| could /kʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| frock /frɒk/ | frog /frɒɡ/ |
| ochre /ˈəʊ.kə/ | ogre /ˈəʊ.ɡə/ |
| pluck /plʌk/ | plug /plʌɡ/ |
| prick /prɪk/ | prig /prɪɡ/ |
| ankle /ˈæŋ.kəl/ | angle /ˈæŋ.ɡəl/ |
| cable /ˈkeɪ.bəl/ | gable /ˈɡeɪ.bəl/ |
| class /klɑːs/ | glass /ɡlɑːs/ |
| clean /kliːn/ | glean /ɡliːn/ |
| coast /kəʊst/ | ghost /ɡəʊst/ |
| craft /krɑːft/ | graft /ɡrɑːft/ |
| crane /kreɪn/ | grain /ɡreɪn/ |
| crave /kreɪv/ | grave /ɡreɪv/ |
| creed /kriːd/ | greed /ɡriːd/ |
| crepe /kreɪp/ | grape /ɡreɪp/ |
| crime /kraɪm/ | grime /ɡraɪm/ |
| cruel /ˈkruː.əl/ | gruel /ˈɡruː.əl/ |
| leak /liːk/ | league /liːɡ/ |
| anchor /ˈæŋ.kə/ | anger /ˈæŋ.ɡə/ |
| broke /brəʊk/ | brogue /brəʊɡ/ |
| vicar /ˈvɪk.ə/ | vigour /ˈvɪɡ.ə/ |
| bicker /ˈbɪk.ə/ | bigger /ˈbɪɡ.ə/ |
| crouch /kraʊtʃ/ | grouch /ɡraʊtʃ/ |
| decree /dɪˈkriː/ | degree /dɪˈɡriː/ |
| nickel /ˈnɪk.əl/ | niggle /ˈnɪɡ.əl/ |
| tinkle /ˈtɪŋ.kəl/ | tingle /ˈtɪŋ.ɡəl/ |
| crater /ˈkreɪ.tə/ | greater /ˈɡreɪ.tə/ |
| lockout /ˈlɒk.aʊt/ | logout /ˈlɒɡ.aʊt/ |
| rankle /ˈræŋ.kəl/ | wrangle /ˈræŋ.ɡəl/ |
| calorie /ˈkæl.ə.ri/ | gallery /ˈɡæl.ə.ri/ |
| crumble /ˈkrʌm.bəl/ | grumble /ˈɡrʌm.bəl/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /k/ and /ɡ/?
Word pairs that differ only in /k/ and /ɡ/ in the same position, such as cap and gap. 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)