Minimal Pairs for K and G

Hey there! My name is Chloe B, and I’m a school SLP (speech language pathologist). If you’re new here, I write bi-weekly posts to help speech therapists in the schools + families with kids in speech therapy. And as a practicing SLP, one of my favorite ways to treat articulation deficits is using the minimal pairs approach. Let’s recap the approach, I’ll give you some tips for K and G specifically, and yes – there will be a minimal pairs for k and g list! Just hang tight 🙂

What are Minimal Pairs?

First things first. Minimal pairs are two words (aka pair) that are only minimally different. They have a lot of sounds/attributes in common, but usually one sound is different. And it is typically different by only one or more attribute. These attributes are in regard to the ways we classify sounds. They are –

Place
- This references where the articulators (tongue, lips, teeth) are for the particular sound. For example, p and b are bilabial (use both lips) and k and g are velar sounds (produced in the back of the mouth).

Manner
- This can be complex to explain if you aren’t an SLP, but basically we produce sounds differently. Like a w is called a glide, but an L is called a liquid. (Message me if you want a bigger explanation here!)

Voice
- Are your vocal folds vibrating (voiced sounds) or not (voiceless sounds)? Examples like s/z, f/v, k/g, etc.

So minimal pairs are words that are only minimally different. So rock and violet could not be minimal pairs. BUT, lock and rock could be. This is because the only sound that is different in those words are the l and the r. They are both voiced liquids, but their place (where the tongue is located) is different.

Some other examples of minimal pairs: way/ray, toe/doe, mop/mob – you get the idea!

Why Do We Use This Approach?

So why do we use minimal pairs in speech therapy? Often because one word is the target word (like ‘ring’) but the child keeps producing the other word (like ‘wing’) instead. In that example, our goal is to first get the child to hear the difference between those two words, and then work on speaking the difference as well.

It’s a helpful way to treat speech errors because it can fix a whole pattern (always substituting w for r) instead of just hammering away at the target sound with little progress. When done correctly, it can train a child’s ears to their errors which is crucial for their success!

The minimal pairs approach is often used as part of the cycles approach. At least, that’s what some awesome gurus in the speech sound disorders space (like Adventures in Speech Pathology and Amy Graham) recommend. Barbara Hodson’s cycles approach is a powerful way to treat a child that has lots of errors and really needs to systemic change. For more on this approach, check out this blog post.

How Do You Use Minimal Pairs G and K?

I love using minimal pairs in my therapy sessions so much so that I created a whole product line based off them in order to use them myself for distance learning and tele-therapy (they’re Boomcards) as well as in person on a tablet. (You can see all my voiced/voiceless ones in my TPT store here if you’re interested).

I love how quickly my students make progress with this approach! If I use the cycles approach, I usually add the minimal pairs approach in too somewhere! It’s truly a game changer. My products include my usual steps, but if you’re doing it with just regular picture cards here are the steps I use:

Auditory Bombardment
Auditory Discrimination Practice
Production Practice (with feedback!)
Auditory Bombardment

That is basically schedule elements taken from the cycles approach, but it works great with this approach too!

If you’re looking for specific help for just minimal pairs for k and g then here is the specific activity I use to work on this voicing/devoicing concept-

Minimal Pairs for K and G | Chloe B School SLP

The key with k and g is to target the voice on and voice off concept. Have the child feel the vibrations of the vocal folds by putting their hands on your throat and then their own. Use a switch to turn a noise on and off to illustrate the point. I like to have them sing or use voiced sounds that I know they can make then have them try doing it quietly with their voice ‘off’. Sometimes my kids do good with reminders to make it loud or punch out the sound!

and now how about for that word list?