Minimal Pairs /ɪ/ And /iː/ (Ship And Sheep)
60 pairs of words that differ only in /ɪ/ and /iː/. /ɪ/ is a front half-close unrounded vowel and /iː/ is a front close unrounded vowel.
| With /ɪ/ | With /iː/ |
|---|---|
| it /ɪt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| ill /ɪl/ | eel /iːl/ |
| is /ɪz/ | ease /iːz/ |
| bin /bɪn/ | bean /biːn/ |
| bin /bɪn/ | been /biːn/ |
| bit /bɪt/ | beat /biːt/ |
| did /dɪd/ | deed /diːd/ |
| dim /dɪm/ | deem /diːm/ |
| dip /dɪp/ | deep /diːp/ |
| fit /fɪt/ | feet /fiːt/ |
| hip /hɪp/ | heap /hiːp/ |
| his /hɪz/ | he's /hiːz/ |
| hit /hɪt/ | heat /hiːt/ |
| kin /kɪn/ | keen /kiːn/ |
| lid /lɪd/ | lead /liːd/ |
| lip /lɪp/ | leap /liːp/ |
| rid /rɪd/ | read /riːd/ |
| rim /rɪm/ | ream /riːm/ |
| sin /sɪn/ | seen /siːn/ |
| sip /sɪp/ | seep /siːp/ |
| sit /sɪt/ | seat /siːt/ |
| fill /fɪl/ | feel /fiːl/ |
| hill /hɪl/ | heal /hiːl/ |
| hill /hɪl/ | heel /hiːl/ |
| itch /ɪtʃ/ | each /iːtʃ/ |
| kill /kɪl/ | keel /kiːl/ |
| knit /nɪt/ | neat /niːt/ |
| lick /lɪk/ | leak /liːk/ |
| mill /mɪl/ | meal /miːl/ |
| pick /pɪk/ | peak /piːk/ |
| pick /pɪk/ | peek /piːk/ |
| pill /pɪl/ | peal /piːl/ |
| pill /pɪl/ | peel /piːl/ |
| sick /sɪk/ | seek /siːk/ |
| sin /sɪn/ | scene /siːn/ |
| whip /wɪp/ | weep /wiːp/ |
| wick /wɪk/ | weak /wiːk/ |
| wick /wɪk/ | week /wiːk/ |
| chip /tʃɪp/ | cheap /tʃiːp/ |
| fist /fɪst/ | feast /fiːst/ |
| grin /ɡrɪn/ | green /ɡriːn/ |
| hill /hɪl/ | he'll /hiːl/ |
| list /lɪst/ | least /liːst/ |
| live /lɪv/ | leave /liːv/ |
| pick /pɪk/ | pique /piːk/ |
| rich /rɪtʃ/ | reach /riːtʃ/ |
| ship /ʃɪp/ | sheep /ʃiːp/ |
| slip /slɪp/ | sleep /sliːp/ |
| will /wɪl/ | we'll /wiːl/ |
| will /wɪl/ | wheel /wiːl/ |
| liver /ˈlɪv.ə/ | lever /ˈliː.və/ |
| pitch /pɪtʃ/ | peach /piːtʃ/ |
| skim /skɪm/ | scheme /skiːm/ |
| still /stɪl/ | steal /stiːl/ |
| still /stɪl/ | steel /stiːl/ |
| click /klɪk/ | clique /kliːk/ |
| litter /ˈlɪt.ə/ | litre /ˈliː.tə/ |
| risen /ˈrɪz.ən/ | reason /ˈriː.zən/ |
| wriggle /ˈrɪɡ.əl/ | regal /ˈriː.ɡəl/ |
| critic /ˈkrɪt.ɪk/ | critique /krɪˈtiːk/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /ɪ/ and /iː/?
Word pairs that differ only in /ɪ/ and /iː/ in the same position, such as it and eat. 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)