Can you help me with minimal pairs?

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aato76
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Can you help me with minimal pairs?

Unread post by aato76 »

Could you kindly give me an example of the minimal pair that I could use to teach the final location for /r/ and /h/ pls?
Could you also double check if I have made the right choices of minimal pairs for the followings
/i/ and /I/ Final location: Tea and Tee
/r/ and /l/ Final location: boar and ball
MANY THANKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss
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Lucy
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Re: Can you help me with minimal pairs?

Unread post by Lucy »

What an interesting and difficult question!

/i/ and /I/ Final location: Tea and Tee
This pair does not correctly distinguish the 2 different sounds because tea and tee have exactly the same pronunciation.

/r/ and /l/ Final location: boar and ball
Ball for the final /l/ is correct. It’s difficult to find a word in the English language where the final “r” is pronounced. I’ve been thinking about this for a while and have not come up with anything; the final “r” is usually silent. In your example of boar, the final sound is the vowel. I wonder if with a Scottish accent, the final “r” is sometimes pronounced. Do we have any Scottish members out there who could enlighten us?

I’m afraid, I haven’t come up with a minimal pair to illustrate the final /r/ and /h/ because of the explanation above. Final “r” and “h” are usually not pronounced; or the “h” is pronounced along with other letters, e.g. “tch”. As these sounds are not normally pronounced at the end of a word, I wonder why you are teaching it. Pure curiosity, there’s maybe something I haven’t thought of!

Lucy
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Lucy
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Re: Can you help me with minimal pairs?

Unread post by Lucy »

I've just re-read this and thought of an instance where we might pronounce the "r" at the end of "boar".

When you say: boar and ball, the words all run into each other and the letter "r" can be heard between "boar" and "and"; as in boarand ball. Your initial suggestion could be correct but it wouldn't be final position.

Lucy
kevsunblush
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Re: Can you help me with minimal pairs?

Unread post by kevsunblush »

In British English, the final /r/ disappears. But in American English, it is almost AWLAYS pronounced. I say almost because it disappears in some regional accents (like in New York). Final /h/ is still silent in American English, however, so minimal pairs may be hard to come by.
Allophony
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Re: Can you help me with minimal pairs?

Unread post by Allophony »

I'm afraid it is just not correct that the "r" in "boar" is silent.

Many Dialects of English spoken within England are indeed non-rhotic and drop any /r/ that does not decisively begin the vowel, including the dialect spoken by the royal family.

It may be high prestige but it is simply not correct and not standard to drop these "r"s.

There are many dialects of American English that are non-rhotic, like the ebonic dialect one associates with rappers as well as New Jersey or Brooklyn accents.
Stonysan
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Re: Can you help me with minimal pairs?

Unread post by Stonysan »

For a final r and l, I came up with poor and pool.
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