ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

AT-103-005 · ATLAS 251

Minimal pair

Two words that differ by only one sound and have different meanings.

Explanation

Minimal pairs demonstrate that a single phonetic difference in a language serves to distinguish meanings. They serve as a test of phoneme status.

Example

Bein – Pein.

Counterexample

Bein – Beine; here, the grammatical form also changes.

Distinction

Not to be confused with words that merely sound similar but differ in multiple places.

Effect on thought and perception

Illustrates how a minimal acoustic difference creates a categorical boundary of meaning.

Resonance

A tiny change in sound opens up a completely different semantic space.

Cite this entry

Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Minimal pair“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-103-005. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-103-005

https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-103-005

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