Minimal Oppositions (Minimal Pairs)

This is appropriate for children with mild, mild-moderate, moderate, or moderate-severe speech sound disorders with consistent phonological errors who are 4-6 years old. Children should be stimulable for targets or be able to engage in verbal imitation and follow directions describing correct articulatory placement. Children should be able to engage in 30-60 minutes of drill-play based activities.

Tip : If a child is presenting with a more severe speech sound disorder including phoneme collapses or phonological difficulties involving word structure, it is likely more beneficial to start with an alternative approach (like cycles or multiple oppositions).

Pairs of words that differ by one distinctive feature contrasting a known vs unknown sound. They can help to establish contrasts in the child’s phonological system (tea vs. key).

Choose about 5 target minimal pairs.

Include in your intervention:

• familiarization (share the words with a simple description: pan (we use it for cooking) and fan (it keeps us cool)
• perception training (say a target word and have the child identify the coordinating picture)
• imitation
• independent production

Remember… targeting speech perception is important as well, especially for children who are non-stimulable or have difficulty perceiving the difference between two targets. If the child has more than one phonological error, you can order based on sound development or sound complexity. You will request for clarification when a child produces an errored production of target word using verbal (did you mean pan or fan?) and nonverbal cues (confused facial expression).

There are two types of Minimal Oppositions approaches:

1. Meaningful Minimal Pairs You will use this type when the child is stimulable for targets.
2. Perception Production Minimal Pairs You will use this type when the child is non-stimulable for targets.

1. Meaningful Minimal Pairs

Familiarization

• Share the words with a simple description for each picture cue card: pan (we use it for cooking) and fan (it keeps us cool).

Listening

• You state the target word then child picks up or points to target word.
• 90% accuracy then move to next step.

Production in words

• Contrast minimal pair words in drill-play.
• You provide praise for correct responses and instructional feedback for incorrect responses. Request clarification when target is produced incorrectly.
• Production in phrases, sentences, and conversation.
• Begin with structured sentences then reduce the structure to more conversational speech in play based child-led activities.

2. Perception Production Minimal Pairs

Familiarization

• Share the words with a simple description for each picture cue card: pan (we use it for cooking) and fan (it keeps us cool).

Listening (perception training)

• Similar to listening phase for meaningful minimal pairs but more trials and activities.
• Pick up target words, sort target words into respective categories, or place word into motivating objects.
• 90% accuracy to move to next step.

Production (imitation of targets)

• You provide a model of target words and the child repeats, models and description of articulatory placement as needed.
• 90% accuracy in at least 50 trials.

Production (spontaneous)

• 50% accuracy in at least 50 trials.
• Child produces target word without model from SLP.
• SLP provides praise and feedback.

Production

• Contrast minimal pair words in drill-play.
• SLP provides praise for correct responses and instructional feedback for incorrect responses.

Production in phrases, sentences, and conversation

• Begin with structured sentences then reduce the structure to more conversational speech in play-based child-led activities.
• Request clarification when target is produced incorrectly.

Minimal Pairs Handout Here

Two 30-45 minute sessions per week with 100+ trials per session.

Baker, E. (2021). Minimal Pairs Intervention. In Interventions for Speech Sound Disorders in Children (2nd ed., pp. 33-60). essay, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. .

Storkel, H. L. (2022). Minimal, maximal, or multiple: Which contrastive intervention approach to use with children with speech sound disorders? Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 53(3), 632–645. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_lshss-21-00105