/t/ vs /d/ minimal pairs
/t/ and /d/ are both alveolar stop sounds — the only difference is voicing: your vocal cords vibrate for /d/ but not for /t/. Phoneme has 8 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /t/ | /d/ |
|---|---|
| ten | den |
| bat | bad |
| cart | card |
| tin | din |
| town | down |
| time | dime |
| mat | mad |
| bet | bed |
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.