/ə/ vs /ʊ/ minimal pairs
/ə/ is a mid central vowel; /ʊ/ is a short, lax back vowel. Phoneme has 5 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /ə/ | /ʊ/ |
|---|---|
| buck | book |
| putt | put |
| luck | look |
| tuck | took |
| cud | could |
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.