"minimal pair"的定义和意义

What is a "minimal pair"?

A minimal pair is a pair of words that differ by only one phoneme, with all other sounds being the same. This small difference in sound leads to a change in meaning, highlighting the significance of phonemes in a language. For example, the words "bat" and "pat" form a minimal pair because they differ only in the initial sounds /b/ and /p/. Minimal pairs are important in phonetics and language learning because they help illustrate how sound changes can affect meaning, aiding in the understanding and practice of pronunciation in various languages.