Minimal pairs /e/ and /ɜ:/
contents
A minimal pair is a pair of words which differ by only one sound such as bent and burnt.
This exercise is about the sounds /e/ and /ɜ:/. These are the vowels in bent and burnt.
how to pronounce /e/
Lips: wide
Tongue part: front
Tongue height: half open
Tongue tension: tense
Duration: short
how to pronounce /ɜ:/
Lips: rounded
Tongue part: centre
Tongue height: half open
Tongue tension: relaxed
Duration: long
practice
Listen to the audio for the minimal pairs below.
Record yourself and listen to yourself.
It’s time for bed sleepyhead.
Is it a bird, is it a plane?
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell at the Palace of Westminster.
Burn baby burn.
I’m wearing my best suit today.
Do you jump when you hear a balloon burst?
When I visited Rome I walked until my feet bled.
This medication may cause blurred vision.
She looked over the edge of the cliff and felt dizzy.
I felt a sudden urge to giggle.
At the end of the day I like to relax.
I earned more before, but I’m happier now.
Are you going to the beer fest at Ally Pally?
“The first rule of fight club is:…”
She has a good head for business.
Have you heard the news?
The porter held the door open as they left.
The rioters hurled bricks at the police.
The dog sleeps in a kennel outside.
Crack open the nut and eat the kernel.
Could you lend me a tenner?
I hope you learned something today.
The pigeon made a nest in the tree.
They found an injured cat and nursed it back to health.
Chickens peck at food on the ground.
Travel to other countries is a perk of the job.
I spend my Tuesday evenings skating.
Hell has no fury like a woman spurned.
I’ll be with you in ten minutes.
I can’t turn left.
The newly-wed couple went to Scotland for their honeymoon.
Can I have a quick word?
The mechanic can weld the crack.
I was in a world of my own.
If you study hard, you will do well.
Go on, give it a whirl.
The sun sets in the West.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”