Minimal Pairs /s/ And /z/ (Sue And Zoo)
33 pairs of words that differ only in /s/ and /z/. /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative and /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative. They differ in voicing.
| With /s/ | With /z/ |
|---|---|
| ass /æs/ | as /æz/ |
| sip /sɪp/ | zip /zɪp/ |
| sue /suː/ | zoo /zuː/ |
| bus /bʌs/ | buzz /bʌz/ |
| dose /dəʊs/ | doze /dəʊz/ |
| once /wʌns/ | ones /wʌnz/ |
| race /reɪs/ | raze /reɪz/ |
| rice /raɪs/ | rise /raɪz/ |
| seal /siːl/ | zeal /ziːl/ |
| sing /sɪŋ/ | zing /zɪŋ/ |
| sink /sɪŋk/ | zinc /zɪŋk/ |
| base /beɪs/ | baize /beɪz/ |
| face /feɪs/ | phase /feɪz/ |
| loose /luːs/ | lose /luːz/ |
| mace /meɪs/ | maize /meɪz/ |
| pass /pɑːs/ | parse /pɑːz/ |
| peace /piːs/ | peas /piːz/ |
| piece /piːs/ | peas /piːz/ |
| race /reɪs/ | raise /reɪz/ |
| cease /siːs/ | seize /siːz/ |
| grace /ɡreɪs/ | graze /ɡreɪz/ |
| hearse /hɜːs/ | hers /hɜːz/ |
| house /haʊs/ | how's /haʊz/ |
| price /praɪs/ | prize /praɪz/ |
| spice /spaɪs/ | spies /spaɪz/ |
| brace /breɪs/ | braise /breɪz/ |
| coarse /kɔːs/ | cause /kɔːz/ |
| course /kɔːs/ | cause /kɔːz/ |
| advice /ədˈvaɪs/ | advise /ədˈvaɪz/ |
| device /dɪˈvaɪs/ | devise /dɪˈvaɪz/ |
| muscle /ˈmʌs.əl/ | muzzle /ˈmʌz.əl/ |
| mussel /ˈmʌs.əl/ | muzzle /ˈmʌz.əl/ |
| precedent /ˈpres.ɪ.dənt/ | president /ˈprez.ɪ.dənt/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /s/ and /z/?
Word pairs that differ only in /s/ and /z/ in the same position, such as ass and as. This page lists 33 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)