Minimal Pairs for Spanish Speakers
For some ideas to use these with students, go to my minimal pairs activities page. Note that not all Spanish students will have exactly the same difficulties, but below are some of the more common issues I've encountered with students. Some of these are due to the spelling, rather than difficulty producing the sound.
If you want to know more about difficulties which Spanish students and other nationalities have with English, I thoroughly recommend the book "Learner English".
| æ | ʌ |
| cat | cut |
| ankle | uncle |
| ran | run |
| drank | drunk |
| match | much |
| ɜ: | ɔ: |
| work | walk |
| bird | bored |
| fur | for |
| shirt | short |
| sir | saw |
| ʃ | s |
| ship | sip |
| she | sea |
| sure | sore |
| shoot | suit |
| shy | sigh |
| j | dʒ |
| your | jaw |
| yet | jet |
| yolk | joke |
| year | jeer |
| yob | job |
| s | z |
| sip | zip |
| sue | zoo |
| place | plays |
| rice | rise |
| ice | eyes |
| s | θ |
| sin | thin |
| sum | thumb |
| sank | thank |
| sink | think |
| saw | thaw |
| ŋk | ŋ |
| think | thing |
| sank | sang |
| bank | bang |
| rink | ring |
| sunk | sung |
| - t | - d |
| heart | hard |
| plate | played |
| bet | bed |
| bought | bored |
| hurt | heard |
| ʃ | tʃ |
| shoes | choose |
| sheep | cheap |
| wash | watch |
| mash | match |
| cash | catch |
| d | ð |
| doze | those |
| day | they |
| dare | there |
| den | then |
| dough | though |
| ɪ | i: |
| ship | sheep |
| it | eat |
| hit | heat |
| bin | bean |
| live | leave |
| v | b |
| vote | boat |
| very | berry |
| van | ban |
| vest | best |
| vet | bet |