Which minimal pairs should I test first?
Oct 28, 2026
Short answer
Start with the pairs your own everyday speech already contains — names, numbers and work words — then test ten of them with one real listener instead of a textbook list.
Start with the pairs your everyday speech already contains: names of people and places, numbers, and the words in your job. Test ten of those, and add vowel pairs such as ship and sheep only if they come up in sentences you actually have to say.
A pair that never appears in your speech is not your priority, however famous it is in textbooks. If you are not sure where to start, record yourself reading a page of your own work notes, then mark every word that a listener had to ask about.
Minimal Pairs: A Ten-Minute Self-Test for the Word Pairs People Mishear →
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