Minimal Pairs /s/ And /ʃ/ (Sip And Ship)
49 pairs of words that differ only in /s/ and /ʃ/. /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative and /ʃ/ is a voiceless palato-alveolar fricative. They differ in place of articulation.
| With /s/ | With /ʃ/ |
|---|---|
| ass /æs/ | ash /æʃ/ |
| sea /siː/ | she /ʃiː/ |
| see /siː/ | she /ʃiː/ |
| so /səʊ/ | show /ʃəʊ/ |
| gas /ɡæs/ | gash /ɡæʃ/ |
| saw /sɔː/ | sure /ʃɔː/ |
| sew /səʊ/ | show /ʃəʊ/ |
| sigh /saɪ/ | shy /ʃaɪ/ |
| sip /sɪp/ | ship /ʃɪp/ |
| sow /səʊ/ | show /ʃəʊ/ |
| sue /suː/ | shoe /ʃuː/ |
| mass /mæs/ | mash /mæʃ/ |
| mess /mes/ | mesh /meʃ/ |
| said /sed/ | shed /ʃed/ |
| saw /sɔː/ | shore /ʃɔː/ |
| seek /siːk/ | chic /ʃiːk/ |
| soar /sɔː/ | sure /ʃɔː/ |
| sore /sɔː/ | sure /ʃɔː/ |
| cell /sel/ | shell /ʃel/ |
| plus /plʌs/ | plush /plʌʃ/ |
| sail /seɪl/ | shale /ʃeɪl/ |
| sale /seɪl/ | shale /ʃeɪl/ |
| same /seɪm/ | shame /ʃeɪm/ |
| save /seɪv/ | shave /ʃeɪv/ |
| sear /sɪə/ | sheer /ʃɪə/ |
| seat /siːt/ | sheet /ʃiːt/ |
| seed /siːd/ | she'd /ʃiːd/ |
| seep /siːp/ | sheep /ʃiːp/ |
| self /self/ | shelf /ʃelf/ |
| sell /sel/ | shell /ʃel/ |
| sift /sɪft/ | shift /ʃɪft/ |
| sign /saɪn/ | shine /ʃaɪn/ |
| sine /saɪn/ | shine /ʃaɪn/ |
| soar /sɔː/ | shore /ʃɔː/ |
| sock /sɒk/ | shock /ʃɒk/ |
| sore /sɔː/ | shore /ʃɔː/ |
| sort /sɔːt/ | short /ʃɔːt/ |
| suit /suːt/ | shoot /ʃuːt/ |
| lease /liːs/ | leash /liːʃ/ |
| niece /niːs/ | niche /niːʃ/ |
| seal /siːl/ | she'll /ʃiːl/ |
| seize /siːz/ | she's /ʃiːz/ |
| sour /saʊə/ | shower /ˈʃaʊ.ə/ |
| censor /ˈsen.sə/ | censure /ˈsen.ʃə/ |
| parcel /ˈpɑː.səl/ | partial /ˈpɑː.ʃəl/ |
| single /ˈsɪŋ.ɡəl/ | shingle /ˈʃɪŋ.ɡəl/ |
| sofa /ˈsəʊ.fə/ | chauffeur /ˈʃəʊ.fə/ |
| subtle /ˈsʌt.əl/ | shuttle /ˈʃʌt.əl/ |
| furnace /ˈfɜː.nɪs/ | furnish /ˈfɜː.nɪʃ/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /s/ and /ʃ/?
Word pairs that differ only in /s/ and /ʃ/ in the same position, such as ass and ash. This page lists 49 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)