/s/ vs /ʃ/ minimal pairs
/s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative; /ʃ/ is a voiceless postalveolar fricative. Phoneme has 7 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /s/ | /ʃ/ |
|---|---|
| sip | ship |
| sea | she |
| sock | shock |
| sore | shore |
| sell | shell |
| sort | short |
| save | shave |
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.