Minimal pairs and minimal sets in Phonology
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Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme, demonstrating that the differing sounds represent distinct phonemes in a language. They show that substituting one phoneme for another changes the word's meaning. Examples of English minimal pairs include wet/yet, kill/gill, and park/bark. Minimal sets contain more than two words that differ by just one phoneme. Both minimal pairs and sets are used to identify individual phonemes in a language's phonological system.
Minimal pairs and minimal sets in Phonology
- 2. What is minimal pairs? In phonology, minimal pairs are pairs of words or phrases in a particular language, which differ in only one phonological element, such as a phone, phoneme, and have distinct meanings. They are used to demonstrate that two phones constitute two separate phonemes in the language.
- 3. Deference between two otherwise identical strings of sound and this difference result in a change of meaning. ex: wet:yet to:do kill:gill park:bark might:night lot:rot Sue:zoo fairy:very
- 5. Phoneme in minimal pairs If we substitute one segment for another and this result in a change in meaning the two segments belong to two difference phonemes Thus (k) and (m) are realization of two difference phonemes (k) and (m) because substituting one for the other as first element of the string (aet) gives two difference words . (cat) and (mat)
- 6. Example: pig:big (p is opposed to b) - /p/ is opposed to /t/ as in (pea:tea) - /p/ is opposed to /j/ as in (peep:jeep) - /p/ is opposed to /d/ as in (Pig:dig) - peep:cheap - Peat:feet - Port:thought - pea:we - rip:ring
- 7. Minimal set A set of distinct words in a language which differ in only one or a limited number of phonological elements. If there are two words in the set, it is a minimal pair. A minimal set is used to demonstrate that the phonological element under consideration is phonemic—that is, that it has contrastive function in determining meaning.