/p/, /b/ minimal pairs

 

/p/ is harder to pronounce than /b/ since an aspirated /p/ is uncommon in most languages. So we have a few tongue twisters to practice /p/ and /b/ before we move onto minimal pairs:

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Perry's Berry's make peanut butter better. 

Buy pie pans before you buy butter plates. 


/p/, /b/ minimal pairs 

These are minimal pairs for /p/ and /b/. Notice the differences in vowel lengths between words when /p/ and /b/ come at the end of the words. As we learned in the section on voicing, due to pre-fortis clipping, vowels are shorter before voiceless consonants. 

cab cap

big pig

buy pie

bet pet

bear pair

bill pill

bin pin

cub cup

Bob bop

band panned

base pace

bat pat

bear pear

belt pelt

berry perry

blade played

bay pay

rib rip

blank plank

bride pride

bull pull

butter putter

robe rope

breast pressed

beep peep

tribe tripe

/p/, /b/ sentences 

These are sentences with the /p/ sound.

Peter grows the most precious peaches and pears.

We had pumpkin pie and pepperoni pizza near the swimming pool.

Wipe your mouth with paper napkins.

Pull on the zipper to open your suitcase.

Under the dim lamp light, the painter mopped the damp floor.

The rope is tied in knots.

Please Wash your hands with soap.

Perfect planning prevents pathetic performance.

 

These are sentences with the /b/ sound. 

He shot the ball at the buzzer.

The bat hung upside down in the tree eating beans.

The bear was hunting for the young bobcat.

 I found corn on the cob in the cupboard

The baby was sleeping in her crib.

The bear cub turned the doorknob.

 

These are sentences with both /p/ and /b/ in them.

Paul peeped and beeped as the bull pulled his bus.

Bob ripped his rib on a big burly pig playing bagpipes.

The bishop blessed Pete the pageboy before his baptism.


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