Minimal Pairs /m/ And /n/ (Mail And Nail)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /m/ and /n/. /m/ is a voiced bilabial nasal and /n/ is a voiced alveolar nasal. They differ in place of articulation.
| With /m/ | With /n/ |
|---|---|
| am /æm/ | an /æn/ |
| gum /ɡʌm/ | gun /ɡʌn/ |
| me /miː/ | knee /niː/ |
| met /met/ | net /net/ |
| ram /ræm/ | ran /ræn/ |
| sum /sʌm/ | son /sʌn/ |
| sum /sʌm/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| mat /mæt/ | gnat /næt/ |
| mob /mɒb/ | knob /nɒb/ |
| moor /mɔː/ | nor /nɔː/ |
| more /mɔː/ | nor /nɔː/ |
| mutt /mʌt/ | nut /nʌt/ |
| numb /nʌm/ | nun /nʌn/ |
| some /sʌm/ | son /sʌn/ |
| some /sʌm/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| balm /bɑːm/ | barn /bɑːn/ |
| dumb /dʌm/ | done /dʌn/ |
| firm /fɜːm/ | fern /fɜːn/ |
| game /ɡeɪm/ | gain /ɡeɪn/ |
| grim /ɡrɪm/ | grin /ɡrɪn/ |
| lame /leɪm/ | lane /leɪn/ |
| lime /laɪm/ | line /laɪn/ |
| mail /meɪl/ | nail /neɪl/ |
| maim /meɪm/ | name /neɪm/ |
| maim /meɪm/ | main /meɪn/ |
| male /meɪl/ | nail /neɪl/ |
| may /meɪ/ | neigh /neɪ/ |
| meat /miːt/ | neat /niːt/ |
| meet /miːt/ | neat /niːt/ |
| mere /mɪə/ | near /nɪə/ |
| mice /maɪs/ | nice /naɪs/ |
| mine /maɪn/ | nine /naɪn/ |
| moon /muːn/ | noon /nuːn/ |
| moor /mɔː/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| mope /məʊp/ | nope /nəʊp/ |
| more /mɔː/ | gnaw /nɔː/ |
| muse /mjuːz/ | news /njuːz/ |
| numb /nʌm/ | none /nʌn/ |
| room /ruːm/ | rune /ruːn/ |
| same /seɪm/ | sane /seɪn/ |
| seam /siːm/ | seen /siːn/ |
| seem /siːm/ | seen /siːn/ |
| skim /skɪm/ | skin /skɪn/ |
| term /tɜːm/ | turn /tɜːn/ |
| them /ðem/ | then /ðen/ |
| warm /wɔːm/ | warn /wɔːn/ |
| warm /wɔːm/ | worn /wɔːn/ |
| fame /feɪm/ | feign /feɪn/ |
| foam /fəʊm/ | phone /fəʊn/ |
| mash /mæʃ/ | gnash /næʃ/ |
| meal /miːl/ | kneel /niːl/ |
| melt /melt/ | knelt /nelt/ |
| moan /məʊn/ | known /nəʊn/ |
| mock /mɒk/ | knock /nɒk/ |
| seam /siːm/ | scene /siːn/ |
| seem /siːm/ | scene /siːn/ |
| gleam /ɡliːm/ | glean /ɡliːn/ |
| gnome /nəʊm/ | known /nəʊn/ |
| mice /maɪs/ | gneiss /naɪs/ |
| might /maɪt/ | night /naɪt/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /m/ and /n/?
Word pairs that differ only in /m/ and /n/ in the same position, such as am and an. 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)