Minimal Pair List Consonants /z/ versus /j/, 11 pairs
The /z/ sound is spelled with <z>. The /j/ sound is spelled with <y>, <ew> in
ewe
or <u> in
use
. The contrast can only occur initially.
This is a contrast between an alveolar sibilant fricative and a palatal semivowel, both voiced. It is not a problem.
The mean density value is very low at 0.1%. The list makes 6 semantic distinctions, a loading of 55%.
zap yap
zapped yapped
zapping yapping
zaps yaps
zee ye
Zen yen
zoo ewe
zoos ewes
zoo U
zoos U's
zoos use
.
Ready to improve your english accent?
Get a FREE, actionable assessment of your english accent. Start improving your clarity when speaking
John Higgins
John Higgins retired in 2000, having spent the bulk of his career as a British Council English Language Officer working in Thailand, Turkey, Egypt and Yugoslavia and the last fifteen years in lectureships at Bristol University and then running an M.Sc. programme at Stirling University. His main field was EFL, with a special interest in CALL (computer-assisted language learning) in which, together with Tim Johns of Birmingham, he was responsible for important developments in methods and materials.
His publications include A Guide to Language Laboratory Material Writing, Universitetesforlaget, 1969, Computers and Language Learning, Collins, 1984, Language Learners and Computers, Longman, 1988, and Computers in English Language Learning, Intellect Press, 1992, together with numerous papers, reviews and pieces of software. He maintains a web page on minimal pairs and homographs for teachers of English pronunciation skills.
