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minimal pair
noun
, Linguistics.
- a pair of words, as pin and bin, or bet and bed, differing only by one sound in the same position in each word, especially when such a pair is taken as evidence for the existence of a phonemic contrast between the two sounds.
minimal pair
noun
- linguistics a pair of speech elements in a given language differing in only one respect and thus serving to identify minimum units such as phonemes, morphemes, etc. For example, tin and din constitute a minimal pair in English
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Word History and Origins
Origin of minimal pair1
First recorded in 1940–45
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