Minimal Pairs /θ/ And /t/ (Thin And Tin)
27 pairs of words that differ only in /θ/ and /t/. /θ/ is a voiceless dental fricative and /t/ is a voiceless alveolar plosive. They differ in place of articulation and manner of articulation.
| With /θ/ | With /t/ |
|---|---|
| oath /əʊθ/ | oat /əʊt/ |
| pith /pɪθ/ | pit /pɪt/ |
| thin /θɪn/ | tin /tɪn/ |
| both /bəʊθ/ | boat /bəʊt/ |
| path /pɑːθ/ | part /pɑːt/ |
| thigh /θaɪ/ | tie /taɪ/ |
| wrath /rɒθ/ | rot /rɒt/ |
| death /deθ/ | debt /det/ |
| faith /feɪθ/ | fate /feɪt/ |
| heath /hiːθ/ | heat /hiːt/ |
| tenth /tenθ/ | tent /tent/ |
| thank /θæŋk/ | tank /tæŋk/ |
| theme /θiːm/ | team /tiːm/ |
| three /θriː/ | tree /triː/ |
| threw /θruː/ | true /truː/ |
| fourth /fɔːθ/ | fort /fɔːt/ |
| hearth /hɑːθ/ | heart /hɑːt/ |
| north /nɔːθ/ | nought /nɔːt/ |
| sheath /ʃiːθ/ | sheet /ʃiːt/ |
| thought /θɔːt/ | taut /tɔːt/ |
| thought /θɔːt/ | tort /tɔːt/ |
| thrill /θrɪl/ | trill /trɪl/ |
| through /θruː/ | true /truː/ |
| thrust /θrʌst/ | trust /trʌst/ |
| fourth /fɔːθ/ | fought /fɔːt/ |
| thicket /ˈθɪk.ɪt/ | ticket /ˈtɪk.ɪt/ |
| thought /θɔːt/ | taught /tɔːt/ |
Questions Students Ask
What are minimal pairs for /θ/ and /t/?
Word pairs that differ only in /θ/ and /t/ in the same position, such as oath and oat. This page lists 27 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)