Minimal pairs are pairs of rhyming words, for example key and tea. Sometimes they are also words which differ by the presence or absence of a sound, such as bee and beep. They help children to learn if they use the wrong sound, the words will mean something different.

The minimal pairs the speech and language therapist has identified for your child to practise have been provided to you. During each practise session your child needs to say the words 50 to 100 times. This can be achieved by saying each word pair five to 10 times.

• Talk about each picture, explaining the meaning if needed.
• Say one of the words in the pair out loud and ask your child to point to it or pick it up to check they understand the meaning of the pictures and can hear the difference. If your child makes an error, explain the difference to them, for example ‘you chose tea, the word I said sounds a bit like tea but it starts with a k sound, key’. Continue to practise at this level until your child can consistently identify the pictures 90 per cent of the time, then move onto the next step.
• Swap roles so your child says the words and you point to or pick up the word you hear them say. Because of their error, the word you hear may not be the word they are intending to say. By picking up the word you hear this will highlight the breakdown in meaning to them and they may correct themselves. If they don’t, support them to say the word with the correct sound. Your therapist can provide you with guidance on how to do this.
• Continue to practise five times a week until your child can independently say the words 90 per cent of the time on their own. When they can do this, practise putting the words into sentences and highlight any breakdowns in meaning by referencing the word pair you hear, for example if they say ‘I open the door with a tea’ point to tea and say ‘you open it with a tea?’
• You can watch a video demonstration of how to do minimal pairs at www.kentcht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapies-the-pod/speech-and-language-therapy/speech-sounds/

Ways to make practise fun

Incorporate games to keep your child motivated. Two examples are below to support you.

Race

Make two car tracks with the pairs of words. Ask your child to say the word on their track, if they say it correctly their car can move forwards. If they say it incorrectly it will sound like the word on your track.

Find the game piece

Place the pair of words you are working on on top of two overturned cups. Hide a piece for a reward game under one of the cups, such as swords for pop up pirate, and ask your child to tell you which cup they want to look under. Once they have found all the pieces you can play the game.