/θ/ vs /s/ minimal pairs
/θ/ is a voiceless dental fricative; /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative. Phoneme has 8 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /θ/ | /s/ |
|---|---|
| think | sink |
| thin | sin |
| thick | sick |
| thumb | some |
| thank | sank |
| thing | sing |
| thigh | sigh |
| theme | seam |
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.