L and R minimal pairs
The next set of cards has minimal pairs in the medial position. This just means that the focus sounds are in the middle of the word.
The cards have these words –
Called – Chord
Collect – Correct
Pallet – Parrot
Pilot – Pirate
Below we have L and R minimal pairs in the final position (At the end of the words).
The words on these picture cards are –
Ball – Boar
Eel – Ear
Fall – Four
Stall – Store
The last 2 pages feature minimal pairs with consonant blends. In this case, the target sounds are joined with another consonant.
Learners with issues pronouncing the L and R sounds should move on to these once they have mastered the words in the initial position.
The L and R blend words on these PDF pages are –
Bloom – Broom
Cloud – Crowd
Clown – Crown
Flame – Frame
Flute – Fruit
Glass – Grass
Glow – Grow
Splint – Sprint
L and R minimal pairs word lists
Next, we have some word lists for the R and L minimal pairs. These can be useful if you want to make your own activities, exercises, and games.
The word lists are in alphabetical order and have been broken up into sections with minimal pairs in the initial, medial, and final positions along with some consonant blends.
Initial Position
lace race
lack rack
lag rag
lagging ragging
laid raid
lair rare
lake rake
lamb ram
lamp ramp
lane rain
lank rank
lap wrap
lash rash
late rate
lather rather
law raw
lay ray
laze raise
laze raze
lead read
lead red
lead reed
leader reader
leap reap
led red
leech reach
leek reek
leer rear
lentil rental
lib rib
lice rice
lick rick
lid rid
lied ride
lies rise
light right
light rite
lighter writer
limb rim
lime rhyme
link rink
lip rip
list wrist
lit writ
load road
loam roam
loaves roves
lob rob
lobe robe
lock rock
locket rocket
look rook
loom room
loot root
lope rope
lot rot
lout rout
lows rose
loyal royal
lubber rubber
luck ruck
lug rug
lump rump
lung rung
lush rush
lust rust
lute route
Medial Position
alive arrive
aloe arrow
bald board
belate berate
belly berry
called chord
collect correct
elect erect
files fires
hallow harrow
healing hearing
jelly jerry
mallow marrow
mandolin mandarin
mislead misread
pallet parrot
pealing peering
pilot pirate
stalling storing
teller terror
walled ward
Final position
ball boar
call core
eel ear
fall four
owl our
scowl scour
shell share
stall store
tell tear
well wear
Consonant Blends
blacken bracken
blew brew
blight bright
blue brew
blues bruise
blush brush
clash crash
climb crime
cloak croak
clown crown
clue crew
flee free
flees freeze
flock frock
fly fry
glamour grammar
gland grand
glass grass
glow grow
glue grew
plank prank
play pray
plop prop
ply pry
splat sprat
splint sprint
Practice sentences with R and L minimal pairs
Here are some fun practice sentences that can be used to help learners enunciate the R and L sounds correctly.
There is rain in the lane.
A pirate with a parrot and a pilot with a pallet.
She played a prank as he prayed on a plank.
A boar with a ball.
Peeling a mandarin while peering at a mandolin.
Our owl has a berry in its belly.
A clown with a crown holding a lamp on a ramp.
Now see if you or your students can come up with some more silly sentences using the word lists. Aside from pronunciation practice, this can be an enjoyable way for learners to create sentences.
For more ideas like this and practice with these sounds, have a look at the L tongue twisters, and the tongue twisters with R.
Related activity
For some extra resources to help practice the L sound, have a look at the L and W minimal pairs page. Here you will find more free picture cards, a word list, and sentences.
