/e/ vs /æ/ minimal pairs
/e/ is a mid front vowel; /æ/ is a low front vowel. Phoneme has 8 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /e/ | /æ/ |
|---|---|
| bed | bad |
| pen | pan |
| men | man |
| pet | pat |
| bet | bat |
| ten | tan |
| fed | fad |
| leg | lag |
How to teach this contrast
- Listen and point. Play each word and have learners point to or repeat the symbol they hear.
- Say and check. Learners say one word from a pair; a partner (or you) identifies which one.
- Drill it. Use Phoneme's Train mode minimal-pair drill for randomized, self-checking practice.